Life Swap
by FortuneRose
Summary: Now complete! Shadow is pulled by Chaos into another dimension, where he faces an alternate version of his own life. Now he must figure out how to return...or if he even wants to. Collaborated crossover of Flirting Shadows and Petal Hinges storylines.
1. Plans Derailed

**Authors' Note:** The stories that make up the background for this one can be found under the accounts Sonic Rose and Fortune. You're encouraged to check them out to get the most enjoyment out of this very special tale!

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Sonic the hedgehog is no stranger to parallel worlds or time travel. In many realities, Mobius and Earth are one, while in others, the two worlds exist side by side. Sometimes they are unaware of the other, while the barrier between yet other worlds is paper thin and the two manage to intersect and communicate freely. Yet, on most worlds, Shadow the hedgehog is relatively new to such things.

In most realities there are all but the slightest changes to places and people, while each gets further and further from the original. Some things remain constant through all worlds, though, as the setting of the stars in the sky, to the presence of the Chaos Emeralds. Perhaps these are the source of the problem that causes each world to act on another, or creates its own realities for a time. It's said the emeralds reflect the hearts of their users, though perhaps, sometimes…they act on their own will.

In a pair of parallel worlds where Mobius and Earth are tethered to one another, their Shadows are about to be called. As for why these things happen…it may be a matter of direction for the dark hedgehog who, in both worlds, has been trying to find his way for a very long time. Perhaps one takes for granted the peaceful path he has been on, while the other doesn't know what he's missing...

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Chapter 1 – Plans Derailed

There were few reasons Shadow had to be on Mobius; he hadn't lived there, really, and he didn't care to. Maybe his upbringing on the ARK had made it hard for him to relate to his own kind, being surrounded by humans and technology from the start. The half-blood alien felt like an outsider walking the streets of Knothole City and wished that his father-in-law would decide what side of the World Gate he wanted to live on once and for all. The black hedgehog just wanted to go home to Station Square, but that meant he had to go pick up his son from "Grandpa's house."

He and Charles the hedgehog didn't always get along, and even when there was relative peace between them, there was a lingering tension neither felt would ever go away. It wasn't like they were on bad terms, but they weren't essentially on good terms either. That was reason enough for him to want to keep any visits short. He approached the homestead of the aging light blue hedgehog with a slight swagger in his step. 'Next time Sara's picking the kid up...' he thought inwardly as he knocked at the door.

A moment later he heard footsteps, two pairs, heading for the door. One was quick and energetic; the other was steady and followed by a laugh. "Slow down!" Charles' voice issued from the other side before opening up.

"Papa!" a young boy hedgehog called eagerly, practically flying out of the door and wrapping his arms around Shadow. He was sky blue like his mother, but the placing of his black stripes and red eyes definitely hailed from his father.

The fond smile on Charles' face only ebbed a bit as he looked up at Shadow. "Ahh...leaving so soon, are we? I kind of wish you could bring him by more often."

"Yeah well...we gotta go," Shadow replied, idly stroking his son's head.

Chuck frowned a bit. "Could you bring him by more? Maria too?" He knew all too well that Shadow left little room for further conversation and if he wanted to make a point, he had to be direct about it.

"We'll see," Shadow replied and guided the four-year-old boy down the steps.

"Bye bye, Grandpa!" The kid beamed, waving a hand at him.

"...Shadow," Chuck said with a heavy sigh. Shadow gave him his attention and kept his face neutral, while the brown-eyed old man was much easier to read. "I really would like to see more of the little ones...and Sara too. You're all welcome over any time. I really want you to consider it...and tell Sara I love her, will you?"

"Yes," was his only response before turning away from the older hedgehog. "Come along, Ash," he spoke up softly to his child, gently guiding him down the steps. He was quite relieved to be going, though part of him felt guilty hearing Chuck sigh behind him as the door closed.

--

Shadow relaxed notably once he and Ash were on the train back through the World Gate. At least he could depend on his brown-eyed mate waiting for him at home. The only thing dampening his spirits was how Ash was going on about how "cool" Grandpa was. Call it bias, but the fact he was Sonic's uncle had never settled well with him. Just the thought of being related to him caused a sneer to form on his face.

"Papa?" The small questioning voice beckoned him out of his thought processes, and his eyes fixed on those of the boy looking up at him oh so innocently.

"...What?" In the end, Shadow was Shadow, meaning even his kids got short one-word responses most of the time.

"I'm hungry."

"...We'll stop by Vinnie's on the way home." Shadow sighed and looked out the window. The train was about to enter the gate.

Passing between those worlds was such a regular part of life that only people experiencing it for the first time really noticed the sensation of being transported from one reality to another. The transition was so smooth that it was almost as simple as walking from one part of a room to another, though it was far more complex than that. Still, Shadow noticed the transition this time, a slight tingling feeling as his molecules flew from one plane of existence to another.

He didn't think much of it after the train came to a stop and he and Ash were solidly on Station Square blacktop. Aside some overcast, the day was nice enough. Nothing out of the ordinary.

--

Vinnie's Pizza was the stop of choice for Shadow and his family when they, quite frankly, couldn't think of anything better. Shadow was used to the zealous owner Tony, who seemed to have a way of getting into other peoples business, and who Shadow surprisingly found himself answering to half the time. The caramel-haired man peered over the counter when the hedgehogs entered, since they were too short to see otherwise, and greeted them with a smile.

"Vinnie's Pizza, we heat 'em, you eat em!" he recited cheerfully. "Now there's a face I haven't seen in a while," he commented. He tilted his head at the smaller hedgehog beside him curiously, however.

"Hi, Tony. We'll have two of the same from last time," Shadow said. He didn't note the human's curious look at his son, though there was something different about the counter. It had a picture of Tony and his family plastered in front of it, and one of Sonic's glam shots, but it was missing a family photo Shadow had given him not long ago. "Remodeling a bit?"

"Eh? Not really," the human replied with a shrug, though his curious look extended to Shadow as well. "Kind of ambitious order ya got there, though. Who else likes peanut butter and pepperoni pizza anyhow?"

"P-p...peanut butter and pepperoni?!" Shadow's crimson eyes went wide at saucers upon hearing that one. 'H-how...? I've never ordered that here! Not even Sara knows I like that….' Ash at least had the decency to make a face at such an odd topping choice.

"Yeah. You ordered it last time." Tony nodded firmly. "I don't see ya too often, but seemed like you enjoyed it well enough that we got in some crunchy PB just for you, pal."

Shadow's head reeled a moment from that tidbit. 'Have I been sleep walking or something?' he thought. "Well...not this time...I want two double cheese n' green peppers."

"All right, be about ten minutes. Make ya'self comfy while you wait," Tony said pleasantly and pointed to the chairs lined up by the window.

Shadow made a solemn nod and went over to the seating to mull things over. Ash followed and pulled himself onto the chair and half onto his dad's lap. He stroked the child's fur, the boy half asleep in his lap; at least he hadn't inherited his insomnia. As normal as this was, Shadow had the distinct feeling something was off. The missing picture, Tony knowing his favorite pizza topping...and for that matter, he even seemed a little distant compared to his normal demeanor. He hadn't even made any comments about Ash, which was really weird; the man swore he was a hair taller every time he saw the little "sprat," as he affectionately titled him.

Shadow leafed through his quills, drawing his cell phone out, then dialing Sara's number. "C'mon...pick up," he muttered until there was a sharp squeal at the other end. "We're sorry...the number you are trying to reach is not in service. If you misdialed, please hang up and try again... The number you--"

Shadow stared blankly at the phone sitting in his hands. 'Not in service?' Out of range he could understand, temporarily unavailable...but "not in service?" He couldn't imagine why he'd get that message and made a note to check with his service provider later. Out of his own growing curiosity he decided to give Sonic a call... It rang through.

Quite shocked to be receiving a call from Shadow of all people, Sonic did a double take at the caller ID. 'Wonder what's up' was the first thing that came to mind before he hit Okay. "Hey! Shadow...umm...wow...what's with the call? Somethin' up?"

"Yeah, you could say that." Shadow paused a minute. "I just tried calling Sara and it told me it wasn't a valid number..."

There was a slight pause at the other end. "Uh...who?"

"Sara," Shadow replied in an annoyed tone. "Don't play stupid, you know who she is."

On the other end of the line Sonic was trying to keep from snickering and took a while to collect himself. A smug grin crossed his face. 'Shadow has a girlfriend? This is rich!' "Heh, sorry, 'fraid I don't know who you're talkin' about."

Shadow snarled; he was about to tear into Sonic but for a pair of crimson eyes on him. "...Don't worry about it," he said softly to his son and hoped he'd go back to sleep. He tilted his head back and let out a sigh before responding to the blue prick. "Sara. Sara the hedgehog. Your cousin. Chuck's daughter," he listed in a pointed tone, "...You know? Brown bangs, brown eyes, sky blue body? My mate?"

For a minute, Shadow thought Sonic had hung up. There was a very long silence until Sonic broke it with tumultuous laughter. "I have nooooo idea what you're talkin' about!" He paused, unable to breathe from his laughter. "A mate?! You? Since when?? Ohh man...! Haha...I've gotta tell Amy about this!"

A deep-seated frown passed over Shadow's face. "Sonic..." he started in a dangerous tone, "if this is some kind of sick joke you're playing, it isn't funny!"

"Heh...I have to disagree...it's a hoot!" Sonic laughed.

Shadow snarled his reply, "You little blue shit...I don't know what you're playing at but tell Sara I'll be home in fifteen." Finally he hung up on the hedgehog, his mildly annoyed mood from earlier replaced with complete disgust.

"...Papa?" And a pang of guilt for losing his cool in front of his son.

"Shh...we'll be home soon," Shadow assured him, though…if Sonic wasn't joking….

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A subtle rumble of morning thunder settled into the dense tropical flora of Mobius' Mystic Ruins, its sentiments felt just past the clearing to the walls of the towering station housing the world's primary portal to Earth. Within them, another rumble announced the imminent arrival of a monorail train that had just crossed over from the neighboring planet. As the train began to hiss to a stop, a portion of its trailing shadow seemed to waver suddenly to life, picking up speed and thrusting itself atop the final car just as it emerged from the tunnel. In the brilliant station lighting, it was now obvious that the overhead passenger was none other than Shadow the hedgehog. He leaped again before the train came to a full stop, easily clearing the crowds waiting to board, and continued through customs on his way.

Outside, heavy raindrops weighed on the hedgehog's already grim visage. After a brief scan of the surrounding jungle, he set off down its well traveled dirt trail. Within minutes, however, he was treading pure mud. He managed to pull one foot free only to sink knee-deep with the other.

"Need some help?" a mustached man in ranger gear and a parka called from several feet behind him, using a large walking stick to navigate the messy terrain. He stopped in his tracks as his offer was met with a canine-bearing growl. Gripping a nearby tree, Shadow jerked his leg from the mud and kicked against the trunk, propelling himself into a crooked glide. With another kick on a tree opposite him, he had all the momentum he needed to continue forth unhindered.

Now if only he knew where to go.

His search eventually brought him to the quiet country homestead of a former friend with whom he'd shared three years of his life, until hers suddenly ended. Considering the significance it surely held for his son Mercury, it seemed like a logical place to check. To his disappointment, though, he found no evidence that the boy had recently been there. The dust on the hardwood floor inside remained undisturbed, as did the surrounding overgrowth. The ultimate life form could only heave a frustrated sigh as he gazed past the deteriorated property. There was no time left to look any farther; he was expected at work in five hours, and the trip back to Earth would take four.

By the time he reached the station again Shadow was actually tired enough to consider riding the train—but that didn't mean he was about to put up with any annoyances. Shortly after boarding, passengers on their way back to Station Square of Earth sat clustered at one end of their car, staring nervously at the lone hedgehog brooding at the other. As he rode into the tunnel and entered the portal, he suddenly became aware of an unusual tingling sensation in his body. His head snapped up, but as quickly as it had started, it was gone. Perhaps, he considered, he'd exerted himself more than he'd realized.

And yet, even on his way from the station to Diamond Mill Mall across town, something somehow seemed off. Was something wrong with him? The notion irked him all the more; coming down with some physical ailment would be just what he needed to top off his crappy week He entered the mall from a different side than he typically used, not up to the usual greetings from north end merchants. As he weaved around racks of products set out for the week-long sidewalk sale, a familiar pink hedgehog caught his eye amongst them. She glanced up and spotted him before he could steer clear.

"Hi, Shadow!" Amy called with particular perk. "Looking for Sara?"

"Hell no," he snapped, assuming she'd meant Serrah, the muskrat who worked in the food court and had had a crush on him ever since he'd started his current position. His hostile edge softened a bit upon noticing how taken aback she was at his reply. "She's the last thing I need today."

Amy's eyes continued to grow. "W-why, what happened??"

"Nothing I haven't already told you." He snorted, mostly at the conversation. Even it was starting to irk him. "I'm running late. I need to go."

"Late for what?" she tried to ask, but he had already skated off. It was only seconds later that Sara the hedgehog joined her gaping friend's side. Following Amy's eyes, she blinked in comparable surprise at seeing her mate traversing the mall.

"Is that…Shadow…?"

"Yeah," Amy's voice was almost a squeak. "I was just talking to him and he suddenly took off!"

"What did he say?"

"He said he was running late for something…and he seemed kinda mad! I asked him if he was looking for you and he said 'hell no' and that you were the last person he wanted to see or something like that!"

Sara's brow sank. "Oh…I guess he's still mad about last night…." Meeting Amy's prodding eyes, she continued, "We got into a fight after you guys left and I made him sleep on the couch." She decided for Amy's sake to leave out the fact that he was angry because she had invited her and Sonic over without asking him first. After a tangled string of arguments, the last thing she'd finally shouted at him was "if you want to be alone so bad, you can sleep alone for a week!" But it still left some questions unanswered. "What about Ash? Was he with him?"

"Not that I saw…."

"He went to pick him up hours ago!"

"Maybe that's what he meant about being late…?"

An exasperated sigh left Sara, but her train of thought derailed with the sound of her daughter's voice.

"Daddy!" The eight year old wasted no time darting after her father, and Sara wasted no time pursuing her.

"Maria wa--matta ne kudasai!"

Little Maria had no trouble slipping through the crowds of shoppers, while her mother struggled to keep up. It wasn't long before Sara watched them both disappear around the corner.

"Dad! Dad!!" Maria called as she began to close the gap between herself and Shadow. Surely he was near enough to hear her; why wasn't he looking back? He merely continued on straight up to the mall's security office, then went inside. Maria frowned, unsure whether she should follow. She decided to wait outside and watch through the deeply tinted glass door.

A frumpy middle-aged woman with a bun in her dry orange hair greeted Shadow. "Can I help you?" Her voice reflected little intention of such, but considering the nature of their working relationship, it was certainly no surprise to him. He simply ignored the woman as he made his way past the front desk and into the adjoining room. "Excuse me!" she addressed him again, springing from her chair. "That area is for security personnel only!" Receiving only a glare in reply, she marched forth and grabbed hold of his arm. Shadow immediately swung about, prompting her quick release, but she stood her ground. "You're not allowed back here!"

His fiery eyes narrowed on her. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you need to leave!" She flinched as he returned a sharp snort.

"I don't have time for your bullshit." He turned and headed for the lockers to retrieve his work effects. The woman shouted again, this time towards a nearby office.

"Randy!! Randy, get out here!" Soon thereafter a balding man in a button-up shirt and tie emerged.

"What's going on?"

A bony finger pointed at the hedgehog. "That creature just barged in here and refuses to leave!" As she spoke, Shadow reached for his locker handle. He paused upon finding there was no lock on it, then proceeded to open the door. There was nothing inside. He stared for a few moments as he arrived at the only logical conclusion, then shifted his angry eyes to the humans discussing him.

Randy addressed him this time. "Is there something you needed, Sir?" He instinctively reached for the can of mace on his belt as he found himself in the trespasser's knifing glare. But Shadow restrained his wrath; he merely slammed the locker door shut and exited the way he'd come in.

Waiting patiently outside the main office, Maria smiled sweetly at her father as he stepped out. She blinked in surprise to receive only a passing glance in return.

"Dad! Dad?!" Again her calls went unanswered. Finally she stomped the floor. "DADDY!! Stop ignoring me!!" She sprinted after him and took hold of his hand, giving it a sharp tug. "Hey!!"

At last she had his attention. Shadow immediately halted and whipped his head around to face the child, and as their equally blood-red eyes met, his breath stilled upon watching hers become an eerie crystalline void. What she said next, in an entirely different tone of voice, set his quills on edge.

"So you did come."


	2. Dude, Where's My Life?

Chapter 2 – Dude, Where's My Life?

Shadow was rather agitated after the whole incident at Vinnie's, what little appetite he had quickly evaporating. Ash made up for that, as his hands were covered with sauce from a slice of pizza he was eating, at least what didn't escape him. The black and red hedgehog only glanced back at Ash to make sure he was following. He trusted the boy was fast enough to keep up and made a mental sigh of relief as their home came into view.

His relief was short lived as he noticed subtle differences in the two story home. Shadow's pace slowed and his eyes became focused. Overall, nothing appeared out of the ordinary. The color of the house was the same, the blinds looked about the same, the curtains, the same color. Certain things were off, though, like the mail box and 'since when did we get satellite TV?'

Ash continued his stride up to the house, blissfully absorbed in finishing off another slice of pizza and attempting to lick his fingers clean while juggling the pizza boxes in his free hand. Unlike Shadow, he didn't notice the two large slobbering forms headed for him. It wasn't until his crimson eyes were staring at the snarling muzzle of a large Doberman that he realized he was in trouble.

"Ash!" Shadow yelled. He didn't have to, though, as he was faster than the two dogs guarding the lawn. Pizza forgotten and abandoned on the ground, he'd scooped his boy into his arms, and the two were soon standing on the roof letting their heart rates go back to normal.

"Where'd those dogs come from?" the sky blue boy with black stripes finally asked.

"I...don't know," Shadow replied honestly, peering over the edge of the roof. With the fact they were chained to stakes driven into the lawn and had a certain length of leash, he was beginning to suspect that they lived there and he didn't... "Wait here," he instructed Ash before heading to the window of the master bedroom.

It was open, so he easily slipped into the house, his first real tangible evidence the world around him had changed. Not a stitch of furniture within was his or made for a Mobian. Sara's plush toys weren't littered across the dresser, and the bed was nicely made. This...didn't...make...sense.

"Daddy? Someone's pulling up the drive," Ash informed, sitting on the windowsill.

"...Crap," Shadow groaned. He ignored Ash's outcry at his casual swear, and observed a pair of humans getting out. The dogs were already alerting them they had company. 'There is no way I'm going to Sonic's after the way he blew me off' He quickly considered his options for reasoning things out in a quiet environment before scooping his young child into his arms. The two of them were off fast enough that the couple probably didn't even get a good look at them.

--

Shadow spent some time doing laps around the city with Ash in tow. He needed to think, to clear his mind...but as to where to do so, that part was escaping him. As far as his mind was concerned, everything looked normal. Places he frequented were there, the colors of buildings, the half-baked ads on bill boards, the number of Mobians to humans in the general population...all was as it should be.

Eventually, Shadow wound through the upper class end of town, adorned with mansions and swimming pools. He recognized this stretch of road and came to a stop in front of one of the houses. His calculating eyes roamed over the pristine mansion, recognizing the black Jaguar sitting on the drive. 'Chris.'

Ash came to a not-so-graceful stop behind his father, bumping into his leg and falling back against the pavement. Aside a startled outcry on his part, there wasn't much reaction from either. Shadow did edge back a bit but made no effort to help the kid up. While he did tend to let Ash have more freedom than Maria had at his age, it was still unusual for him to be paying so little attention to his normally quiet son. "Papa? Why are we here?"

Shadow thought about it a minute before slipping through the gate, holding Ash's hand now and heading for the door. "We're paying Chris a visit," he responded evenly. The Thorndykes didn't seem too worried about Mobian thieves, since they hadn't replaced the gates, the bars of which were large enough to let most adult Mobians squeeze through without a problem. Still, with the kind of day Shadow was having, he was a bit hesitant when he gave a sound knock to the door.

He couldn't help keeping a tight grip on his boy and backpedaling a step, ready for anything when the door swung open moments later. "May I help you?" Mr. Tanaka, the Japanese butler of the Thorndyke residence, asked calmly. The way the light reflected off his glasses always gave him an imposing first impression, though he was the first to relax at the bristling hedgehog. "Mister Shadow?" He raised a brow at that; the hedgehog was so seldom seen at the estate. His eyes quickly flew to the boy but he said nothing.

"Yeah... Is Chris home?" he asked warily. He noted the critical look aimed at Ash and tightened his grip on the boy's small hand once more. His child was feeling more and more like a lifeline to the shreds of sanity that remained with him.

"Of course. You can wait in the living room while I go fetch him," Tanaka said with a bow, motioning Shadow and the boy inside.

The crimson and ebony hedgehog entered the estate, still feeling ill at ease as he headed for the living room. He took a long, hard look around the room before easing his grip on Ash's hand. So far, so good. Ash quickly made himself comfortable on a regal-looking gold/yellow couch while Shadow remained standing. His senses were still on high alert, and he thought he could hear Tanaka upstairs announcing to Chris that "Master Shadow is here...with some boy." That left a sour taste in his mouth.

He glanced toward the direction he heard Tanaka in, as though he could look through the wall, but his eyes caught something far more interesting on the mantelpiece. It was lined with a number of picture frames showing Chris' family and friends. The expected shots of Sonic were there, as well as Sam Speed. That was all well and fine until he noticed two particular pictures, one of which had Sonic and Amy holding a small lavender child with pink eyes. At first he thought the color might have been off, knowing Blitz and Rift were both purple, but their eyes were green, and Sonic would have blown a gasket at her for bundling either of them in a pink blanket. The other photo was a close-up of a black hedgehog child with silver eyes whose chest fur was red and whose quills tapered off into a gradient red as well. He was staring hard at it even as Chris' boisterous steps came to a halt a few feet away from him.

"Hey, Shadow! Long time no see!" Chris said in his usual cheerful tones. A quick look around the room revealed the young hedgehog Tanaka had mentioned, and his crystal blue eyes looked at him thoughtfully. "Umm...who's your friend there?"

'What?' Shadow looked a bit startled at that, the flicker of confusion over the differences in his life and the world he was in changing to rage. "...Ash," he said in an absolute tone, "my son."

Chris seemed to share his shock at that revelation, though the young adult was far from convinced of that. "Your...your son? ...Another one?"

"...A…another one? Another son?" Shadow replied. 'I have a feeling my life just got a hell of a lot more complex….' He stepped backward to the couch Ash sat on and reached a hand out for his, making sure he was still there.

Chris gave a characteristically nervous laugh, afraid he'd offended his guest and scratching his spiky head of hair. "Ahh...I'm sorry, I think I'm just...a little confused..."

Shadow's face became grim. "I just want to know about Sara and Maria…."

"Maria...?" Chris began, recognizing the second name he'd mentioned, "..From...from the ARK, right?"

"No...I mean Maria...my daughter," Shadow said with a deliberate and darkened tone. "...Just what did you mean about 'another son' anyhow? I only have one...and he's right here," he indicated Ash.

"S-sorry…." Nervousness stayed in the young human's tone. He couldn't think how to respond to that exactly, dumbstruck at Shadow's insistence on having a daughter, or that the boy with him was his son. That just...couldn't be. "I didn't know you had someone else...I think you're confused. You do have a son, but his name's Mercury." Chris' brows furrowed together in a deeply concerned expression. "You remember Mercury, right?"

"Mercury? Who the hell is Mercury?!" Shadow snapped at the human. Ash voiced his own complaint mainly because his dad now had something of a death grip on his hand, and a quick protest for his mild cursing. "All I want to know is where the fuck Sara and Maria are! Sonic acted like he didn't even know him!"

"Daddy!" Ash squeaked.

"I'll throw a few dollars in the cuss jar when we get home…." Shadow whispered softly to his child. 'If we get home, that is….'

"Oh...oh my gosh...! Shadow…." Chris' mouth hung open a bit while he slipped his hand into his pants pocket, searching for his cell phone. 'Shadow's lost it... something's wrong with him...' "I...I didn't know...you have another girl, right? This umm…Sara?"

Shadow gave a contemptuous snarl at that, "Yes! Why the hell are you and Sonic playing stupid like this? The joke's gone too far!"

"It...it's not…. Please calm down, Shadow. I think...I think you need help," the human voiced his concern, wondering where the boy had come from more now than ever. "Maybe this will jog your memory?" he inquired nervously, reaching for the photo of Mercury that sat on the mantle. He used the time his back was turned to fish the phone out of his pocket before handing it to Shadow. "See? That's Mercury..."

"I don't need help…I need my…." Shadow heaved a sigh as he accepted the picture, now able to get a better look at the boy. There was no denying the resemblance between them. While the chest fur on the boy in the picture was red, it was the same area where Shadow had white, and the dominant red and black markings...he'd never really seen that combo on other hedgehogs. "Mercury, huh?"

"Yes! Yes...Mercury." Chris nodded enthusiastically. While he was trying to be subtle about making his call, the cell phone made noises when the number was brought up for the MRC.

Shadow's ears focused on the cell phone, which he now stared at. "Who are you calling...?"

"Huh? Oh..." Chris started apologetically, "I think you should talk to someone from the MRT...I mean, you seem to be having memory problems...it could be related to the implants."

"W-what?! Implants?! Say what?!" Shadow started at him in complete shock. "Chris..."

"...Hello...? Is this the MRT? I need to..." Chris' eyes went wide when Shadow suddenly stood and knocked the phone from his hand. His deep crimson eyes focused on him sharply, sending a shiver through his spine. His eyes had a dangerous look to them, which caused the young man a deep sense of fear and remorse. He'd helped Shadow out not too long ago by offering surgery to fix a problem with a faulty mechanism in his skull, though he had no way of knowing that this was not the same Shadow, or that he was telling him the truth from his perspective.

"You think I'm crazy...don't you?" Shadow asked in disbelief.

Chris backed up a few steps, trying not to look as worried as he felt, but that was a hard thing for him, a boy who'd always worn his emotions on his sleeve, so to speak. "No-no...I just...think it'd be a good idea for you to get checked out... Something is wrong here."

'I don't believe this...' "Yeah...yeah..." the dark hedgehog responded, his tone shifting to an oddly calm state, "there is something wrong. My son...Ash...is missing his mother and sister...and I want to know why." He attempted to keep a sneer of revulsion out of his expression or tone, though he was losing patience with the human. He thought this would be a good place to ease his mind, but he was only finding himself more and more rattled.

"Ha..." Chris laughed nervously. "Ohh...I...I see... Umm...I'm...I'm really sorry, Shadow but...we need to get that kid back to his mother. Where did you happen to find him?" he asked honestly.

Shadow's eyes went wide at that. If he had still been seated, he surely would have fallen off the edge in shock. Instead, he stood there dumbfounded, his eyes wide at his friend for even suggesting that he might have... "Don't tell me you think I kidnapped him!?"

Christopher lowered his head, avoiding eye contact with his guest. "N-no...no...not intentionally...but Shadow...I think you're confused...that's not your son. He has to go back..."

A part of Shadow snapped at that. He had a family. He had a son, a mate, a daughter. How was it possible that Sonic didn't know? That Chris didn't know? And presenting him with a new family in its place? "No...I'm not confused!" The whole situation was beginning to terrify the hedgehog, that he'd never see his family again. He stepped between Chris and Ash, feeling more and more protective toward him than ever. 'This is bad...' "He is my son! The MRT can run all the tests they want to prove it if you don't believe me!"

"But your son is Mercury and he's black and red like you and..."

Shadow shook his head, bringing a hand up to massage his tense forehead; he couldn't take much more of this before he'd snap. "Fine...we'll go to the MRC...but I swear...this is my son..."

"Y-yeah! We can take my car, we'll be to the MRC in no time!" Chris brightened, but he frowned a little at the continued insistence over Ash. "I'm really sorry, Shadow, but that isn't your son..."

"Why is he saying that, Papa?" Ash finally said, clinging to his father's arm.

Shadow frowned a bit. "If this 'Mercury' is my son...then who is the mother?"

"Amy," Chris replied, more at ease now that Shadow had agreed to go to the MRC. He worried about the boy, though; what had Shadow told him? Where was his real mom? Young Thorndyke knelt down and retrieved his phone, then motioned to the two hedgehogs, though he could see the shock plastered on Shadow's face.

"Amy?!" Shadow almost squeaked the name; it was...bizarre.

"Yeah, his mother's Amy...remember?" Chris sighed a bit.

"Now you're the crazy one," Shadow said breathily. "Just...one more thing before we leave..."

"Yes?" Chris asked once he'd reached the door.

"...Don't separate us," Shadow said firmly. He now held a more reasonable grip on his son, who was beginning to get worn out from the day's activities. "I really do remember everything, Chris...I remember everything just fine. You, Sonic, Amy... There is no Mercury... I don't know what's going on...but this is my son Ashura...and I am mated to Sara... I just...don't know where she is...where I am...it's all the same, but different..." Shadow sighed with regret lining his voice.

At this moment he seemed both sane and sad to Chris, but the young man simply could not accept that the child was his, or anything that he said about a mate and all was real. It just wasn't possible. "Oh, he's more than welcome to come with us!" he attempted to smile. "But he looks nothing like Mercury...he can't possibly be...just...oh never mind."

'Patronizing bastard….' Shadow grunted and headed out the door ahead of the human, making sure to keep Ash close at hand. "Let's go, the sooner we get to the MRC, the sooner we get this all sorted out…." 'I hope….'

Chris nodded to that, finally agreeing with him on that point. "Yeah." He smiled warmly, unaware that things were more complex than a little memory gap.

# - # - # - # - # - # - # - #

"…What??" Shadow finally managed to voice through his astonishment. The word seemed to jar the girl from her spellbound state; she blinked a couple of times and peered back up at him, a regular child once more.

"What are you doing? How come you wouldn't stop? I was yelling for you from all the way back at the food court almost!" Maria's bratty scowl scoured him for answers, but he could only continue to stare. The energy he'd felt, the aura, had been unmistakably that of Chaos. What had that been about? And what did she mean she'd been calling him? All he'd heard was a child crying out for her father. His eyes instinctively began to scan the mall behind her for another kid when his hand received a second tug. "Dad!! …What's wrong? Are you feeling all right?"

His eyes jumped to hers again. "Dad??"

"Uh huh," she returned, breaking into a sugary smile, "or I could call ya Daddy."

Right about that moment, Shadow thought he did hear his name, only it was coming from another voice near the mall's bend. Another hedgehog, this one a young woman, jogged somewhat breathlessly toward them. She looked much like an older version of the girl, right down to her silky brown bangs, only her eyes bore a tawny hue and her fur a lighter shade of blue. She chided them as she neared.

"Come on, you two, don't just abandon me like that!"

"Sorry," Maria answered.

Sara paused at her mate's unusual expression. "...Are you all right, Shadou-kun?" Instantly his confusion turned to near repulsion.

"Did you just call me a coon?!"

A fit of giggles left Maria, but her mother merely snorted. "Har har. So where's Ash? You were supposed to bring him home a couple hours ago."

By now his echoes were sounding almost numb. "Ash…?"

"...Ash...our son? Left him at Dad's the other day...?" Finding him only more and more aloof, her countenance sank. "I know you two don't get along too well, but if you didn't want to go you could've told me."

Shadow didn't remember being asked to pick up anybody's kid anywhere, on or off duty. A case of mistaken identity seemed unlikely, though, given his distinctive markings and his being the only Mobian of the mall's entire security staff. She'd even called him by name. At a loss for any other explanation, he began to suspect that someone had made a commitment on his behalf.

"Who told you I would take him home?"

Her face faulted. "You did!"

"I did no such thing," he firmly countered, shaking his head. A familiar pheromone reached him from where she stood, escalating his suspicions. He was definitely going to have a word with Sonic soon.

"You did so, just this morning!" she insisted in exasperation.

"I never spoke to you this morning. I've never seen you before." He tilted his head to Maria amidst Sara's disbelieving gape. "Is this your mother?" he asked while beginning to pry her hand from his. Maria looked as though she didn't know whether to be amused or upset.

"…Is this about last night?" Sara ventured, her own confusion now awash with dismay.

"I don't know what this is about," he muttered as he handed Maria over, "but I'm going to find out." The females' protests went ignored as he hastened to exit the mall.

"…See you at home?" came Sara's dejected mumble after he was already long gone.

Mind racing, Shadow skated full speed through the city. He had all the time in the world to look for Mercury now—but after that encounter, there was someone else he wanted to find first. His route took him straight to Sonic's home.

Two young hedgehog boys were practicing tricks on Extreme Gear boards in the front yard as Shadow approached the home. Aside from their deep purple fur, both of them carried an irritating semblance to Sonic. One called out casually upon spotting the dark visitor.

"Hey, Shads! Whatcha doin' here?" An icy glare returned to the boy shortly after Shadow rapped on the door.

'Hmph. Now even his stupid fans are giving me dumbass nicknames,' he griped to himself before answering "I'm looking for Sonic the hedgehog."

The other youth slowed down and hopped off his board. "He went to the carryout for some Mountain Dew." A decidedly indifferent shrug followed. "He should be back soon."

Shadow wasn't about to wait. "What carryout?"

"Seven-Eleven, I think...down a couple blocks from here." He pointed the direction, and with an acknowledging nod, Shadow was off once more. About halfway to his destination, it became clear that the kids were following him. "So whatcha want with Pops anyhow?" the elder asked as his board cruised alongside.

Having had his fill of weirdos, Shadow made no attempt to humor this one. He quickly accelerated his own pace in the hopes that the boys would take the hint and go away. Instead, though, he soon had one of them on each side. A quick double take to his left confirmed that the younger one was carrying his board rather than riding it. Shadow's eyes widened at that; he'd never seen anyone run that fast besides Sonic.

"Uncle Shadow, watch out!!" the other suddenly cried. Shadow snapped his head forward and swerved left just in time to avoid the steel hump of a mail dropbox. A stunted gong resounded from it as the tips of his swinging quills struck its side. Just past it was the 7-Eleven; he turned sharply back right and did a full rotation as he ground to a halt. The boys whizzed on past, the elder shouting to him over his shoulder. "Tell Pops we'll be at the Gear paaark!"

The frown Shadow had been wearing for the last three days wore on as he watched the two young hedgies disappear down the sidewalk, only now it hinted at unsettled perplexity more than anxious regret. Something really was off…and considering the unusual sensation he'd felt earlier in the day, he had a pretty strong suspicion that it was his own mind. Even when it was at its worst, though, he'd never experienced anything quite like this. He stood further pondering it when Sonic emerged from the store, a case of soda in each hand, an unwrapped Slim Jim in his teeth, and a couple of Amy's favorite magazines under one arm. The blue hedgehog greeted Shadow as best he could through his hickory-smoked snack.

"Hey, Shads, whashup?"

"That's what I'd like to know," he began well before turning to face Sonic. "Would you happen to be acquainted with a sky blue hedgehog with brown hair and rainbow attire?"

Sonic blinked and shifted the jerky to one side. "…Jus' Sara…why?"

"She came up to me in the mall today asking me where her son was and why I hadn't picked him up!" Shadow glared at Sonic expectantly, but the only response was a blank stare that implored him to go on. "She said I agreed to do it this morning!"

"...And you didn't…?"

"Of course not! I'd never spoken to her before then, but obviously someone else did!"

"W-"

"And apparently someone also gave her daughter the idea to cling to me and call me Dad!"

The Slim Jim nearly fell from Sonic's mouth as he broke into a chuckle. He set the soda cases on the ground and pulled the meat out like a cigarette. "What's wrong with that?" Shadow's eyes nearly burned right through him.

"I _know_ you put them up to it!!" His fists were balled tight as he took an accusing step forward.

"Whoa whoa whoa," Sonic put in quickly, throwing his hands up in front of him, "I didn't put anyone up to nothin'! I'm just sayin' what's wrong with your daughter callin' you Dad?"

"She is not my daughter!"

The emerald eyes fixed on Shadow flew wide at that. "Dude!! What in the world makes you think that?! Sara's been a faithful mate to you for years! She's crazy about you! Why would you think Maria's not yours??"

Sonic's words met silence as the black hedgehog before him stood staring, mouth open as if flash-frozen in mid sentence. His eyes shifted about in thought for several seconds. Finally, their wary gaze returned to Sonic, and in a quick motion Shadow reached out and snatched the magazines away. "Hey!" Ignoring the protest, he searched their covers for the date. The print confirmed that it was current, that he'd forgotten nothing...and yet he knew nothing of what Sonic was saying….

"…This had better not be your idea of a joke…." Shadow warned through his teeth.

"No, I swear! I wouldn't kid you about something like that! Geez!"

"Hmph. There's one way to settle this." With that, Shadow set off once more, his sights set on the Diamond Mill Mall.


	3. Wayward Shadows

Chapter 3 - Wayward Shadows

The Mobian Research Center was a place Chris had needed to visit on more than one occasion. At least this time it was nothing urgent. The only urgency to it was for easing his own mind about things. He was really concerned about the boy, though he had never seen Shadow so fiercely protective or oddly gentle, even with Mercury. Nothing was said en route, though the boy's apprehension stayed with him even after Shadow and Ash were admitted for testing.

The wait seemed to go on longer than it needed to, and Chris found himself checking the time every five minutes. He attempted to pass the time by reading the usual spread of magazines offered in the waiting room. Since the MRC was run by a research team dedicated to finding out as much as they could about Mobians, there was plenty of material Chris was unfamiliar with. He did have occasion to laugh inwardly about offering Sonic cat food the first time they met.

After a while, one of the Mobian Research Team representatives led the small, black-marked hedgehog into the waiting room. The woman sported black hair drawn up in a bun and specs seated on her nose through which dark black orbs peered out. "Well..." she said after a moment, looking around for someone to claim the boy while the father was still under investigation.

"Ohh...!" The young human looked up attentively and bolted to his feet. His eyes darted to the boy and then the woman holding his hand, "...Umm...are there any results yet...Miss?" he inquired tentatively.

"Ramirez, Anita Ramirez. As to your question, we do have...some results, mostly concerning the boy." She released Ash's hand, and the young hedgehog quickly darted to Christopher's side. "Shadow is undergoing a more thorough examination for obvious reasons."

"Is Papa all right?" the boy asked meekly, clinging to the human's pant leg.

"As far as we know, little one." Anita nodded to him, then looked back at the human man. "The findings on the boy are very conclusive... Shadow wasn't lying; this boy is his son."

Chris about staggered at that revelation, his eyes wide in astonishment. "For real?! This...this is his son?!" Ash looked a bit resentful at the statement.

"Yes, quite." Anita continued, "He isn't on any of our records, but after the sample we took, there's no doubt about it." She paused a bit before continuing. "We tried running a search for the mother, given what data we have available, and...well, aside Shadow the closest genetic match is Sonic."

"Weird!" Chris blinked in puzzlement. "I don't see how they could be related, but...I guess there's a lot I didn't know about all this time..."

"My mom is Sonic's cousin," Ash said firmly, daring to come out from behind Chris since letting go of Miss Ramirez.

The MRT doctor gave an apologetic look to the hedgehog boy. "As far as Sonic's family is concerned, all we have on record are him and his daughter Misty... Now, if you're able to look after the boy, Mister Thorndyke?"

"Oh, yes, of course!" Chris nodded. "Thank you, Miss." '_It's like Shadow's been living a double life all this time…I can hardly believe it.'_

"Mommy is too related to Sonic!" Ash bristled, making a face at the MRT woman as she headed back inside.

Chris knelt down by the boy, placing him with a kindly look. The crimson eyes that looked back at him were shockingly mature and piercing, much like their apparent father's. "Ahh...your mom...she's related to Sonic, right?"

Ash gave a vigorous nod in reply. "My mama is Sara, my papa is Shadow, an' then there's Grandpa Chuck an' Sonic's mama's cousin but we call him 'Uncle.' Oh yeah! There's also my sister, but she doesn't count."

"A sister? Ohh...Shadow mentioned something about a daughter now that I think about it. Heh...how very strange," young Thorndyke said aloud, more to himself than the boy before him. "So...your name is...Ash, right?"

"Uh huh…." Ash replied, giving him a strange look. "Is this a game or something? Daddy said it was a joke...like Uncle Sonic not knowing us and strangers living in our house and I almost got eaten by a dog! It was this huge!" he exclaimed, opening his arms widely.

"A joke? ...No...I don't think so anyway. Heh...I'm a bit confused myself." There was something of an awkward silence between the two, Ash looking a little bored and annoyed, cranky was the word, while Chris was still trying to reason out what was going on. _'All I can seem to think of is Shadow living a secret life...a double life...like a secret agent! That would be cool but…._' "So...how long have you been with your dad? Have you known him all your life?"

"Uh huh," the child replied in all seriousness.

"So...your mom's name is...?"

"Sara. But I already told you that," he voiced his displeasure at the repeated questioning, both fixing him with a stare and sticking his tongue out seconds later.

Chris chuckled a bit at that, getting to his feet and leading the boy over to a chair in the waiting room. "So you're looking for your mom, right?"

"I guess," the sky blue hedgehog replied, climbing into the waiting chair. He gave a yawn and frowned. "I miss Mama..."

"I'll help you find her, okay?" he replied, patting the child's head. "I can even ask my uncle to look out for her, how's that sound?"

"Okay!" Ash brightened and laughed. "I like your uncle, he's funny! What's his name today?"

Chris' confusion and surprise grew at that. "Y-you know my uncle?"

"Uh huh..." Ash replied, giving the human yet another weird look. "I think you have a bad memory, not Daddy," the child said with a yawn.

"Heh...I'm beginning to wonder myself…." Chris said, leaning back in one of the waiting chairs.

--

After the two had been settled in the waiting area and were starting to relax, a form appeared in the frosted glass pane in the door to the waiting area. It got larger quite hastily until the door was thrown open so violently, it threatened to shake apart. From it, Shadow burst out into the waiting area, flanked by a couple of concerned MRT staff.

Shadow whirled around angrily, tossing some IV needle and the tubing connected to it to the ground, his muzzle curled in a snarl. The two humans stopped dead in their tracks, looking nervously at their charge. "Are you quite finished?" he inquired in a menacing tone. One of them stammered about maybe having enough data to review. Shadow nodded sharply, keeping his crimson eyes planted on the two. "Then we're finished..." he said with a growl. "I will **not** be subjected to any more testing, got it?!" The MRT staff nodded dumbly while Shadow whirled back toward those in the waiting area and brushed himself off lightly.

...'Shit...' He sighed inwardly, attempting not to glare at the others in the room, though all eyes were clearly on him. He was pleased that his son seemed oblivious to this as he bolted from his seat to greet his dad.

"Ahh…Shadow!" Chris called with his usual enthusiasm, putting Shadow at some measure of ease. "I really have to apologize for earlier. I...had no idea you had another family all these years!"

One of Shadow's ears tilted to the side in agitation, the curl of his muzzle starting to appear again. "What's with this whole thing about 'another family'?" The dark and brooding hedgehog made his way to a chair and sat down while one of the MRT staff picked up the items Shadow had tossed carelessly. "I know who I am...I know..." he groaned, then sighed in relief as his son took up residence on his lap. At least he still had the comfort in knowing his son was still there, and at least Chris believed he was his now.

"Umm...we'll have results within a couple hours, if you'd like to wait," the MRT rep said as she headed back to the waiting area. She couldn't escape Shadow's dagger-like gaze quickly enough.

"Thanks..." Chris said, but it was a moment too late before he turned back to the black and red hedgehog.

"I don't have any secret life..." Shadow offered in a hushed tone, his fingers lightly stroking his boy's quills. It was the only thing that seemed to calm him.

"I wasn't aware of anyone besides Mercury all these years, so..." Chris responded, heading back to his chair to wait. "Not that it's a bad thing or anything, I mean, it's your life, but...what about Mercury?"

"I really don't know...I don't know him..." Shadow sighed. He turned his eyes on the human, attempting a neutral expression. "He's the boy in that picture, right? And he's mine and...Amy's?"

"Yeah...I think it'd be a good idea to find him and make sure he's all right...I'm a bit worried about him," Chris confessed.

Shadow's mind mulled some things over, trying to reconcile the two lives he was supposedly having. It didn't matter how many times he heard the name "Mercury," all he had was a picture and a name, and a strange feeling about the child he couldn't quite describe. The idea of connecting with Amy would sound absurd to him but for the fact she was one of the few who ever tried to give him more than the time of day. Still... "There was another picture...Amy and Sonic...with a kid?"

"Yeah. Misty," Chris confirmed.

Shadow laughed a little. "So blue-boy got the girl? Hmph...how? If Mercury's the first then...we had to have clashed at some point…."

"Actually...you did. I was so worried...I mean...you guys nearly killed each other!" He didn't feel like telling him that the hedgehog had come back for revenge later on, and kidnapped his son.

"Heh...at least I'm not a coward," Shadow replied after some thoughtful silence. "Hmmm...I wish I could tell you where the boy is, but I can't."

"We could probably check your apartment first, and ask Amy if he's not there," Chris suggested.

Shadow frowned at that. "...Apartment?" His tone was reflective of someone expecting a bit more than an apartment to call home. "We haven't been in an apartment since Ash was born..."

"Well, I'm not too surprised at that, since you don't remember Mercury," Chris replied, his tone slightly deflated. He didn't know what he wanted to find, other than some answers, and so far there was nothing but more questions. "We can leave after we get the results...sorry...this has been kind of weird for me too."

--

After a couple of hours had passed, Dr. Ramirez reentered the waiting room to deliver the results. In the meantime, Ash had fallen asleep on Shadow's lap, and he had fallen asleep in turn, hand in mid-stroke down his son's fine quills. Anita came to a stop in front of young Thorndyke, a clipboard in hand with a number of pages on it detailing the results of the testing.

"So...what did you find out?" Chris inquired as softly as possible so as not to disturb Shadow.

"A few interesting things," she replied in like tone, looking the two hedgehogs over. "I guess you could say that he both does and doesn't match our records..."

"Ash?"

She shook her head. "No, Shadow... In at least one very major, physical way, he differs from the one on record."

"How so?" Chris asked in a thoroughly curious tone.

Dr. Ramirez cleared her throat and double checked the charts before her. "We did some scans on his brain activity as well as x-ray…. There is no physical sign nor evidence that he has ever had an implant in his head."

Not for the first time today, Chris' blue eyes opened in shock. "How can that be?? Don't tell me...this isn't the real Shadow?"

"He's real, all right. From a genetic standpoint, he's right on the mark. Behaviorally, he also seems to exhibit similar behavior to what we've recorded in the past." She pursed her lips in a pensive, disapproving expression. "As well, he also has many of the same scars, but...there is one curious scar that stands out...evidence that he was shot in the chest some time ago, that is clearly not on file."

"Oh my gosh... It's...it's as if..." He really wanted to finish that statement, but he didn't know how. For all intents and purposes, this was Shadow, yet the life and stories he told were so far removed from the one he knew personally. "Oh well...anyhow...thank you so much for your help."

"Anytime." Anita smiled warmly, regarding the hedgehog with the first pleased expression she'd given toward him. "It's actually rare we find him so...compliant. I think this data will help our research beyond just verifying his identity." Chris nodded a bit. "Well, good day, Mr. Thorndyke," she finished and headed out of the room.

"...Happy?" Shadow quizzed after the human had left. His ears were on full alert, and one blood red eye was peering over at Chris ominously.

A nervous laugh was returned to him. "I think I'm more confused now than ever, actually. I don't know what's up, but I'll do what I can to help straighten things out. Umm...ready to go see about finding Mercury?"

Shadow gave a somewhat reluctant nod and sat up, gently rousing the boy in his lap. "Ready as I'll ever be... Maybe you should tell me a bit about...myself...while we're heading to...my apartment."

"Of course." Chris nodded firmly, wondering if they'd ever get things cleared up at this rate.

# - # - # - # - # - # - # - #

Crickets chirped as a small black hedgehog with red-tipped quills cautiously navigated the Amber Hills apartment complex under the overcast cloak of midnight. Having crossed through the portal from Mobius only hours ago, he ventured home knowing his father was scheduled to be at work through the night.

Following a quick glance over his shoulder, the boy carefully inserted his key into the door and, as quietly as possible, let himself in. There was no sense in taking any chances. The lights were left off as he tiptoed across the floor toward his bedroom. Along the way he reached for the flashlight that normally resided on the end of the kitchen bar nearest the wall, but his hand only found a canister of cooking utensils and what felt like a bag of flour. He grunted to himself as he continued on into his room. At the door, he paused nervously upon being greeted by the lime green glow of a digital clock. That was new.

"Cool," he whispered to himself, then went about his business. Though it was much easier securing one's meals on Mobius without money than on Earth, he preferred making do with some funds on hand. He felt the top of his dresser for his credit card and cash, where he always left them, but instead he bumped into a hard object, which then tipped over and shattered the silence with the racket of seemingly endless marbles spilling out across the dresser until they landed with dull thuds on the carpet. Seconds later, the boy froze again as a beside lamp, a butterfly made up of LEDs, suddenly illuminated the room. An adolescent orange lop-eared rabbit sat up in bed with her hand on the switch.

"EEEEEEEEEEEK!!"

The hedgehog shared similar sentiment. "AAAAAAAAAAH!!"

Things were surprisingly quiet after that. Both Mobians stared for several moments, at a loss for words, until finally the girl voiced the only question running through her mind.

"Are you…a pervert??"

"I-I was just coming to get something out of my room! I didn't know anyone was in here!" the boy quickly stammered.

"Your room?" Her fear subsiding, the rabbit slipped out of bed and stepped past her unexpected guest to switch on the overhead light. The young hedgehog shielded his eyes briefly, until his vision adjusted to take in the teen bunny's modest powder blue nightgown. Just beside him, a turned over vase and a mess of opalescent glass pebbles lay scattered across the dresser and floor. None of the furniture, he suddenly realized, was his. His first inclination was to assume he'd entered the wrong apartment, but considering that his key had worked on the deadbolt, that was unlikely.

Tilting her head at the increasingly distraught boy, the rabbit gently pressed for answers. "Who are you?" He seemed to have difficulty tearing his attention from his surroundings before responding.

"…I…I'm Shadow's son Mercury…."

"Shadow's…?" She was silent for a moment but shook off her musings with a polite smile. "I'm Cream. Nice to meet you."

Mercury cracked a forced smile of his own in return. "I think we met before, a long time ago." A fleeting glance at the door assured him that his father was indeed absent. "…What happened to all my stuff?"

"Your stuff? What stuff?"

"My…bed, furniture…."

"Oh…umm…I don't know," Cream returned consolingly. "Your father only left a few things when he moved."

"He _moved_?!"

Wincing, she turned her eyes to the floor. "Yes, I live here now. I'm sorry…." With a hesitant breath, she looked to him again. "But you're welcome to stay here if you need a place to stay for the night!"

"Nnn…no," Mercury mumbled, making his way to the door. "I'm just gonna get going. Sorry for scaring you."

"Wait! Are you looking for Shadow? I can give you his new address." Cream's offer reached the metallic red quill tips now facing her as the boy paused once more. A hand reached up to wipe his eyes.

"No thanks…he obviously doesn't want me around." With that, he disappeared into the night. Cream's calls after him returned only empty echoes.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

For Shadow, the midnight hour was spent gazing into the ceiling from the living room sofa of his other self's home. His return to Diamond Mill Mall earlier that day had provided him with unexpected answers that posed even more questions, starting with the moment he tracked down Sara and yanked her up to him for a whiff of her scent.

"What's with you today?!" she uttered at his unusually rough treatment. Maria reached out just in time to stop her mother's iced chocolate latte from being tipped off the food court table, while Amy merely gaped at the scene. Eyes comparably wide, Shadow soon released Sara's arm and staggered back into a neighboring table.

"…How can this be??"

Having followed Shadow after their encounter at 7-Eleven, Sonic wore a somewhat apologetic smirk as he stood by. "Sorry, he's gone a little nutsy today." All eyes fixed on the more alien than usual hedgehog struggling to make sense of things.

"How…why don't I remember? It's as though I recall the last ten years perfectly, and yet," his bewildered words targeted Sara, "I don't know you. What the hell is going on?"

"Shadow?" his other life's mate called to him gently, wavering in her mounting concern.

"Wait, hold up," Sonic needled, "when did you first start noticing that something wasn't right? Did anything weird happen to you recently?"

After a moment's thought, the dark hedgehog nodded. "I felt strange when I traveled through the portal from Mobius today…and everything's been messed up ever since."

"That's it!" An excited glint found Sonic's eye as he socked a fist into his other hand. "You've hopped dimensions is what you've done! You're not from this world!" Now everyone was gawking at him.

"You mean to tell me I'm in a world that's inhabited by another version of myself?" Shadow spat, though not quite out of disbelief. Sonic simply shrugged.

"Dunno if that's actually the case, but something pretty similar happened to me a couple times. It gets kinda fun!"

"So where's the other me? In my dimension?"

Another shrug. "I guess."

"What about Ash?" Sara spoke up. She'd long ago called her father and confirmed her son's pickup.

"I bet he's wherever the other Shadow is," Sonic mused. "I'm sure he won't let anything happen to the little guy."

Hardly listening at this point, Shadow's focus was instead directed at Maria. "…Of course…it's all starting to make sense now. The energy I felt coming from her," he said as he pointed, "was actually that of the Chaos Emeralds." The girl paused and blinked at him, quickly swallowing her mouthful of Bavarian cream-filled doughnut as his eyes narrowed on her. "She may be the key to this…."

Sara cleared her throat. "Umm…would you like to come back to the house with us? We can discuss it more there…." She shrank a bit at finding the intensity of his flustered gaze suddenly upon her.

"Is that where she'll be?" he asked, gesturing at the child. At Sara's nod, he answered. "Fine."

And so the hedgehogs went their ways, Sonic and Amy returning to their home while Shadow, Sara, and Maria headed to theirs. After granting a tour of the two-story house, Sara led Shadow into the den, where she pulled a large handmade book from the shelf. Taking a seat on the nearby couch, she patted the spot next to her.

"Oi, koi! --That means 'you, come,'" she translated. Shadow lingered where he stood a few moments before complying. His eyebrow arched as she opened the book to a collection of photographs depicting significant events within the family. On the first page were ultrasound images of Maria and Ash shortly before their births; on the next, the fledgling family was pictured just after Maria's arrival. "You insisted on being at my side…" she added of the scene, then grunted a correction, "err…he did."

Shadow couldn't take his eyes off the page. "……It really is me…."

Sara nodded. "Yeah." She continued as she flipped through the pages, "We named our first after the Maria of the ARK. My suggestion, but it just seemed...right. And the Chaos state you mentioned, she did that once before when she was a baby. I can't believe she's doing it again..."

"So she has no control over it?"

"No, it always seemed to happen at random. Knuckles called it 'inherent will.'" As Sara proceeded through more pages, they next encountered photos of Ash. "This is our son, the one who's missing." She watched as Shadow leaned in to see.

"Hm…he looks nothing like my son."

"You have a son?"

He nodded solemnly. "Mercury."

Sara was quiet for a while after the discovery. Turning a few more pages, she finally spoke her mind. "…Um…if you don't know me in your world…who is his mother?"

There was a tense pause. "…It doesn't matter."

"I was just wondering if it's anyone I knew," she returned quickly. "What's he look like?"

"He's black with red quills…red chest…about your daughter's age…."

"Sounds like he got a lot from you. With our kids…well, they got your eyes, definitely." A soft chuckle escaped her. "I think my Shadow mentioned wishing they had mine once…." Glancing at him, she noted that he was about to say something but held back. She cracked a smile and elbowed him lightly. "So who is his mom? Hmm?"

"That's not your concern!" he snapped, his lip in a hostile curl.

"…Is it really such a big deal?" Finding him increasingly adamant, Sara decided to shift the subject a bit. "Well, what about Sonic and Amy? Are they an item in your world too?"

"……Yes."

"Ahh! I had a bit of a hand in connecting them in this world. She kept masking her own scent with all that perfume." Oblivious to his waning composure, she chuckled to herself and went on, "My Shadow said she was kind to him. I know she ran interference between us a couple times. Ya know, I think if I wasn't around you might be good for her...well, assuming she could get over her Sonic obsession..." She blinked and looked up as her guest suddenly rose from the couch and proceeded to step out of the room. "Uh...did I say something wrong?"

"I need some water," was all he said, without so much as a glance back.

Frowning, Sara followed him out. "…You're a bad liar." She stumbled in surprise as he instantly spun around.

"_Liar_?!"

"Y-yeah...well, not that you lied directly, but the sudden need for water...I hit a sore spot, didn't I?"

"I have a bit of a sore spot for nosiness, yes! But I also happen to want some water, if that's not too absurd for you!" He turned from her with a sharp snort and made his way into the kitchen. After a brief hesitation, she trailed him inside. As he checked the cabinets for the one containing glasses, she quietly closed in and folded her arms around him from behind. Through the tension of his motionless body and the quills instinctively threatening to pierce her through, she whispered the sum of her distress.

"I'm sorry…."

Silence followed for what seemed to both an eternity. Sara dared nothing more than a few subtle strokes of the tuft on his chest, while he remained frozen. At last, the renewed calm of his voice emerged.

"………Where do you keep your glasses?"

With a reluctant release, Sara reached over and opened the appropriate cabinet, retrieving and handing a large tumbler to him.

"Thank you," he muttered softly, turning to the sink.

"You're welcome." Her voice was still a bit shaky, but she seemed notably more at ease than just moments prior. "…Sorry if I'm nosey……usually I've learned to let you tell me things, but...I guess I wanted a basis for comparison...no offense."

Another stretch of silence filled the room as he drank, finishing the entire glassful before his reply. "………My mate left me."

"...Sorry...I see why you don't wanna talk about her." She paused in thought. "Have you tried finding someone else?"

"It hasn't exactly been a top priority."

"Well, I can see that. …Umm...you act a lot like the Shadow I met originally...not saying you're a bad guy, but you're not exactly...open. You need someone who can take the time to let you in."

"I'll keep that in mind," he replied, annoyance returning to his voice.

"And...just one more thing...if I may..." She strode out of the kitchen, motioning for him to follow. "Come on." She glanced back as she reached the bathroom door, finding him hesitantly approaching. A warm smile crossed her lips. "Does Mercury have a fluffy chest like you?" she inquired, rummaging through a basket of hair accessories. Shadow eyed the contents warily.

"Yes...somewhat." His eyebrow lifted as she pulled out a thickly bristled brush and turned to him.

"Hold still, okay?" She giggled at his sudden disease. "Just humor me a minute…." With a quick but gentle motion, she pulled part of his chest tuft aside and began to brush the remaining portion of it. Shadow watched with widened eyes as she carefully worked out the tiny mats. "You've got so much grit in your fur, I'd think you and Sonic went at it again. You need to take better care of yourself, for your own sake, as well as Mercury's...and besides, it's the best pillow I've ever had." Her smile grew a bit, only to morph into a startled gape as she suddenly found his hand overlapping hers. Slowly, his touch ventured past her fingertips to the brush's wooden handle, gripping it and pulling it from her hand. He then turned from her toward the mirror and resumed brushing the fur himself. Sara looked on with a renewed smile.

"Umm…I'm going to go reheat some leftovers. You like spaghetti, right?"

His gaze remained on his work. "It's fine."

"All right, well...feel free to make yourself at home. Just don't touch the smoked eel in the fridge; it's for my sushi." Once she had departed for the kitchen, Shadow's rhythmic strokes slowed to a halt. His eyes lifted to meet themselves in the mirror before him, beholding for the first time something more within himself.


	4. Homecoming

Chapter 4 - Homecoming

While Shadow had been vindicated of any implied kidnappings of his own son, it was only a small measure of comfort. The darkened hedgehog shrunk back against the angled sports car seating and sighed. He was still on edge and growing weary of the day's events. He was starting to think of home and dinner, and familiar things. About the only thing he still had was his son; he gave a glance at the back seat to make sure he was indeed still there.

Chris Thorndyke was still a bit preoccupied by the whole thing, attempting to reconcile Shadow's apparent double life while driving. More than once since they started driving toward the Amber Hills Apartments, the half-wary Shadow had barked at Chris to keep it on the road, or watch out for one thing or another. It as probably a good thing, then, that he let Shadow make the call to Amy on his cell phone.

The topic was supposed to be over Mercury, the hedgehog young Thorndyke was most familiar with, but to Shadow he was just a name. Reluctantly, the dark hedgehog took the phone and brought up Amy's number. He wasn't particularly hopeful that she'd be any help in finding his own family, which was a more pressing matter in his mind, but she might at least account for the wayward son.

"Hello? Amy?" he inquired, setting the phone in a small change tray between him and Chris and setting it on speaker.

"Yes, this is she," the pink hedgehog replied, wondering why Chris' voice wasn't on the other end, though the voice was familiar.

"It's me, Shadow."

At the other end, Amy replied in a curious tone, "Shadow? Hi…. Umm, what's up? And why are you on Chris' number?" From the moment she said his name, Sonic had looked up sharply at her from the other side of the kitchen table, his curiosity piqued. Amy noted this and put the phone on speaker accordingly.

"I'm on Chris' phone... He's driving right now." He glanced at the brown-haired young man, who was currently paying attention to the road as he should. He inhaled and breathed out a sigh, dreading the answers he was anticipating for his efforts. "I have a couple things to ask you...first off...have you seen Mercury?" Even as the name left his lips, it still felt so...alien to him.

"No, not recently," came the reply. She hadn't actually seen him in the last week, not that it seemed to concern Sonic much, who just shrugged. "...Why??"

"...He's missing." Shadow could hear Amy's shocked outcry at the other end but ignored it and continued in an even tone, "We're heading to the apartment to see if he's there."

"...Heh...missing kid, eh, Shadow?" Sonic spoke up over the phone, expecting a classic enraged backlash from the hedgehog even though he hadn't said it in a snide way, but none came. "..What happened?"

"I don't know."

Amy quickly barraged shadow with a hailstorm of questions stemming from motherly paranoia. Both Sonic and Shadow had to tell her to calm down, but the series of questions only led to more reiterations of the phrase "I don't know." This wore quickly on the black and red's frayed nerves, and he shouted a final "**I DON'T KNOW!**" with enough volume and intensity to make Chris jerk the wheel of the car and the two hedgehogs at the other end recoil from it.

Only a small hand catching the dark hedgehog's arm lightly caused him to back off on his tone, regretting disturbing his small son. He sighed an apology for waking him up before gathering his thoughts and continuing. "I'm sorry... Honestly, I've never seen Mercury in my life...I'd never even heard of him until now. I don't know what's going on, I just want my life back to normal." There was a pause at the other end. "...You still there?"

"Yeah..." Amy hesitated, "I just don't know what to say…."

"Have either of you seen my daughter or Sara? She's my mate," Shadow finally inquired sourly. Even through his own mental fatigue, he was sure he wasn't going to like the response.

"Wait a second...you have a mate and child?" Amy sounded in surprise. "Other than Mercury?!"

Annoyance flickered through Shadow's quills. "Yes!" Shadow growled. "I've _had_ a mate now for nine years. Nine _fucking _years!" He felt the car swerve once again as Chris reacted nervously to Shadow's outburst.

There was some stunned silence on Amy and Sonic's side of the line. Sonic quietly informed Amy that he'd received a call from Shadow earlier, where he'd made the same proclamations and claims, the pink one wondering in turn what this had to do with Mercury. Their discussion was as brief as possible, especially since they could hear a low growl rumbling through the phone speaker which they were fairly sure didn't belong to the jaguar.

Eventually, it was apparent they weren't getting anywhere useful over the phone. Sonic actually proved helpful, suggesting they meet at the apartment to sort things out. He was even beginning to get an idea of what was happening, but he kept that to himself. Shadow was trying not to think too much; he was still hoping that somehow this was all some misunderstanding or a bad dream or some bad practical joke. He knew inside that it wasn't, but there was nothing more to do until he and Sonic had a face to face. He'd resolved to enjoy that, at least...something about punching his face in if things went badly sounded like a good exercise in an otherwise unproductive day.

--

Since they had a head start, Chris and Shadow had come to the apartment building a few minutes before Sonic and his family. Amber Hills was where he and Sara had lived before Ash's birth. If he hadn't been having such a strange and souring day, Shadow would have been shocked at winding up at his old homestead. Ash didn't seem to mind, having no real memory of the place except maybe in passing. Still, the older red-eyed hedgehog held a reminiscent look full of mixed feelings as they halted in front of the very apartment he had once shared with his budding family. The look did not go unnoticed by the human while they waited for Sonic.

They didn't have long to wait, as a familiar voice soon reached their ears. "Ey! Chris! Shadow!" The Blue Wind smiled as he and his family approached. An apology was given for being late, but of course, they couldn't find a babysitter for Misty on such short notice. His pace ground to a swift halt as he laid eyes on the black and blue hedgehog next to Shadow. This exam was across the board, and Shadow mirrored his inspecting gaze at Misty, whom he'd only seen a picture of until now. "So...uh...what's up?"

"You tell me," Shadow responded in the calm tone he'd reverted to using since anger wasn't getting him anywhere. The whole thing was kind of wearing on him. "I haven't lived in this apartment in years. My mate apparently doesn't exist. My house is owned by humans. Apparently I have a son I don't know about, and I've wasted most of the day trying to convince Chris I didn't kidnap some random kid off the streets," he enumerated with waning hope of seeing his true home anytime soon.

Sonic was listening to him, a few ideas already forming on his mind, but the small hedgehog at his side had piqued his curiosity. "And this is...?"

"My son...Ash," Shadow replied in a level, no-nonsense tone. After the things he had gone through today, he was not about to have his relation to Ash be questioned any further.

"Chill, just a question," Sonic replied, though his brow arched looking on the boy. The obvious resemblance between him and Shadow lay in the placement of his markings and his crimson eyes, though the coloration was very different, being black and sky blue. '_Another mate...'_ He took a glance at Amy, who'd stood there quietly at his side so far, holding Misty's hand. He wondered why he couldn't have found someone here...

"So that's...Iris?" he queried, motioning to the lavender child.

"Yeah," Amy said. She looked over both Shadow and his son, much as Sonic had, only noting the little things her speedy mate seemed to lose. The body language of this Shadow was different from what she was used to. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it was related to the anxiety in his crimson eyes. There was that, and the way he looked at her as though she didn't concern him in the slightest. It wasn't that he didn't care about her, but he didn't care for her, yet he still acknowledged her presence genially...strange.

"So any of you got a key?" Shadow asked idly, pointing to the door.

The obvious question to all of them was where _his_ key was since it was his apartment, but fortunately the young female hedgechild spoke up first. "I have one!" She quickly fished through a small purse she carried on her, one with a kitty on the front of it. Nobody but Shadow had any question of why she had it; she paid Shadow's apartment enough visits because of her half brother to constitute the need for her own key.

Entering the apartment, Shadow felt like he was looking at some pale reflection of the sad existence he once had. He seized up, giving it a once over. It…it was the same as it had been after the remodel...and yet…. It was fairly bleak, sparsely furnished, and he had the distinct feeling he didn't want to live there. It had the basics, but it felt unlived in even though he knew better. The place was probably most inhabited by sleeping occupants rather than wakeful, noisy people like his bratty daughter or exuberant mate. He sighed at the cold feeling welling up in him; it was like being alone again...

The others weren't used to this kind of tension coming from Shadow, who only hesitantly entered the apartment. Ash and Misty seemed oblivious to this and had no trouble entering, or fighting over the remote to the TV.

"You know where Mercury is?" Misty finally asked after they settled on a channel and noticed he wasn't in the house.

"No. I keep hearing his name, though...is he important?" Ash countered in his confusion.

Misty seemed to think hard about it a moment before giving a bratty smile. "Nope. Wanna play?"

"Yeah. Sure," Ash said, following the lavender girl off the couch. She gave a quick query to her mom if they could play, which was met with a nod before she dragged her new acquaintance into her half brother's room, where she proceeded to expedite the contents of his closet. "Let's see..."

Shadow sighed heavily as he stood in the stranger's living room. The strangest thing was, it was his, and he could see all too well how he would choose to live in such a place. It was as basic as one could get without being a slum, a closet before you walked in, a kitchen to the right, living room straight ahead, bathroom, two bedrooms. That was probably the only "luxury" his counterpart had chosen, a second room for his son Mercury, who also appeared to be missing. Honestly, he could have expected worse, remembering abandoned and even condemned buildings he'd slept in.

"You okay, man?" Sonic asked, being creeped out by Shadow's behavior at this point.

"No…nothing's been right since I came through the World Gate," Shadow heaved yet another sigh and stroked his fingers through his black quills.

A light bulb clicked in Sonic's mind as he'd confirmed his suspicions. "Aha!" He continued to smile even as Shadow darted a look to him fast enough to break an ordinary person's neck from the whiplash alone. "Haha!" He coughed to stave off the glare he was now receiving, "Sorry, heh...I think I know what happened, though... Something happened when you came through the portal, and instead of ending up home...you wound up in a different dimension, another version of this world!"

Shadow's reflections on the apartment and nature of what he now knew to be another version of himself slipped to anger aimed solely at himself for being such a fool. His face contorted in a scowl and he slapped his forehead at his own stupidity. "Damnit...how am I supposed to get back?!"

"Well..." Sonic started, a considerate look on his face for a change. "I've been pulled into other realities by the Chaos Emeralds. There's always a reason for it."

"I don't know what the emeralds would want with me..." The crimson and ebony hedgehog sighed in a more reflective tone. "This world already has a Shadow…I doubt I'm any better off than him."

Sonic shrugged, though he had to wonder about that. This one was different...he didn't have Amy, but he had someone, someone they wouldn't fight over. He had a bit of jealousy forming over his other self, free to an undefiled Amy, since Shadow had already indicated they were a couple...with two sons, no less. Maybe it was better if he'd never known the potential son he might have had, but at least he knew there was somewhere he and Amy were happy together...if that made any sense. He hated time travel.

After a while, Shadow turned to the young human who'd brought him here. "Hey, Chris..."

"Yes, Shadow?" The young man snapped to attention at his name being called.

"...Thanks for trying to help," Shadow said with slight uncertainty. Chris always meant well, but it didn't always work out. Even taking him home wasn't necessary, but the hedgehog knew he was trying. He just wasn't expecting the weird looks everyone was giving him. Was he _that_ anti-social?

"Heh, I wish I'd been more help... I probably held you up more than anything." He gave a halfhearted smile that quickly faded at Shadow's silence. "Well...I'd better go now." He received a nod from Shadow and a few murmured good byes from Sonic and his side of the family.

"Still doesn't explain why I'm here, but it might get me home…." Shadow said aloud, but more to himself than the others after Chris had left.

"How about we go visit Knux? If anyone can talk to the emeralds, he can," Sonic suggested.

"That should do." The crimson-eyed Mobian glanced out the nearest window, seeing the city covered in the golden light of evening. "A bit late for a visit now..."

"You stayin' here?" the cobalt hero inquired.

"May as well..." Shadow shrugged. "I'm betting my double's in my place...possibly even your kid." He glanced to Amy, who frowned at that. The disappointment in her eyes went deeper than her son, and he imagined her feelings for his other self were stronger than she'd like to admit, and even worse, Sonic probably knew that. '_I really am a bastard….'_ "Hey...if this...Mercury comes back, I'll let you know."

"Thank you." Amy smiled genuinely.

"We'll be by around eight, 'kay?" He only hesitated enough to see Shadow accept with a nod before calling his little girl. "Iris! Come on!"

"Aww! Already?" the girl complained after dragging half the contents of Mercury's closet onto the floor.

"Yes! Come on!" Sonic felt only slightly guilty that they'd be leaving a mess behind; it wasn't like this was even…umm…"Shadow's" apartment anyhow.

"Bye…." Ash said as the pushy, pink-eyed girl left him behind. She stopped and gave him a slight smile before ambling to her parents.

A number of goodbyes were mumbled, mostly out of courtesy before the two were left alone in the apartment. "...Clean up your room, will you?" the older hedgehog said softly to his confused son.

--

It was getting late when Chris and Sonic's family had left the two visiting hedgehogs alone. 'Alone.' There was that word again. He glanced over to the open door that was Mercury's room. Ash was there trying to put things back where they belonged. That relieved him to no end, though there was a fear in the back of his mind that if he closed his eyes, he would be gone. Funny thing, he hadn't felt like his happiness would abandon him since he first fell in love...he thought he was over such fears.

"Ash...time for bed," Shadow said at last, drawing two glinting red eyes peering at him a few feet away. The darkened hedgehog fully opened the door to Mercury's bedroom and peered in. It was certainly livable, and probably the most "lived in" area of the house. There was a desktop PC sitting on the desk, which, while fairly well organized, still had a few CDs scattered across it. The bed was in the far corner, and the dresser had a few plush toys sitting on top of it, one of them some bug Pokemon he faintly recalled from the video games Sara had brought into his life. It was the bigger of the two bedrooms in the apartment, and no doubt his doppelganger had given it to Mercury since he personally couldn't justify the space himself. He would want his child to have better, perhaps the first thing they had in common.

"Now? But we aren't even home, Papa..." Ash complained.

"Yeah, well, we're not going home tonight," Shadow replied stiffly. He didn't really like the situation, but what could he do? He saw the confusion seeping into his son's face but merely motioned to the bed in the room he was standing in. "Now."

"...Okay," the sky blue and black child replied. He closed the closet door and then gave the room a visual inspection like Shadow had. "Aww cool! Parasect!" He beamed and gravitated to the bug plush sitting on the dresser. If it helped him sleep, Shadow didn't mind him having it. "Can I keep it?"

Shadow snorted lightly. "For the night..." He nodded and made sure Ash was in bed before he himself slipped into his room.

A very strange smile slipped onto the hedgehog's face as he entered the room. The smile was filled with what could most closely be assessed as irony. The room he stood in was as familiar as it was alien to him. It was very empty save for a Mobian-sized bed and a bookshelf as its most prominent features, as well as overhead lighting. It did have a closet at one end, but he didn't imagine much was held inside of it. It perfectly matched his personality, the part of him that liked solitude, or had once craved it. _'Make the world stop,'_ he thought. A world like that wouldn't know pain or sorrow, nor joy nor love, nor anything but for a numb vacancy where feeling should be. The room was a wall, a cage, and a mirror, and it was torture because Shadow was starting to realize how far away he'd broken from his own cage.

There was one thing being alone afforded Shadow...the ability to cry. In solitude, he could allow himself the luxury of tears, though only one fell from his clouded vision. "I'm sorry..." he whispered to no one. The one he wished could hear it was somewhere else, eating her Japanese junk food, making sushi, and probably tucking their daughter in bed, though she didn't need it.

He strode over to the bed, his senses as keen and sharp as ever in some ways, and dull in others. He took a glance at the bookshelf, which housed the only mass of clutter in the room. He assumed if he was going to find anything comforting about his other self, it would be sitting in a stack of papers there. He wasn't a heartless beast, and just having a son probably tempered his other self, but he wasn't interested in seeing more of himself right now. He'd leaf through it tomorrow, he decided as he lay back on the bed, which was firm but not too worn.

Shadow was tired, though most of it was mental exhaustion. Still, as he lay there staring at the bumps in the ceiling, he was left feeling unsure about whether he should close his eyes or not. Sara had constantly chided him about his apparent insomnia and bouts of sluggishness on the days his body had chosen for rest...and right now he was hoping for insomnia. If he thought for a minute that this would all be gone the moment he opened his eyes in the morning, he would have gladly done so, but there was just a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that he'd find no such thing. Maybe, if he did sleep, he would wake up to a sky blue beauty beside him...or maybe he'd still be here and Ash would be gone too. No, he'd likely wake up the next morning to Sonic pounding the door down, ready to take him to the Floating Island. He wasn't much of a dreamer after all.

_'Is it really so bad, having my cousin drop by now and then?' Sara inquired._

'No….' Shadow thought, recalling the argument he'd had with her not so long ago. He'd slept on the couch that night, and it was nothing to him...because he knew she was right there only a couple of rooms away. In the morning, she'd been there offering breakfast like nothing had happened and he'd offered to bring their son home. Why did it go so horribly wrong? '_Alone...I'm alone again….'_

# - # - # - # - # - # - # - #

At the base of a concrete Pegasus rearing its hooves to the midday sky, gentle ripples of water spread to Mercury's feet as he hunched on the edge of the fountain. He gazed into the endless cascade, lost in its current as it swallowed each tear in its remorseless advance.

"Hey!" a young male voice called from a ways behind him. "Hey you! Blackie!" Emerging from his thoughts, Mercury turned just enough to peer over his shoulder, seeing a purple hedgehog on an Extreme Gear board. The exuberant youth accentuated his presence with a couple of cheesy flips on the device. Another hedgehog who looked much like the first carried his board tucked under one arm as he quickly strode red-faced away from his brother. He approached the fountain with a measure of civility.

"…Are you Mercury?"

The timid black hedgehog froze for a moment. "..Yeah."

"Ahh, thought so! Mom and Dad mentioned you. They said-" His words clipped to a sudden halt as the boarding brother streaked by, much too close for comfort. Mercury ducked, unsure what to make of the situation. As the mischievous sibling closed in for another harrowing pass, the one with both feet on the ground threw up his own board and engaged the air jets. He cracked a smirk as his brother floundered over the repellent and wiped out just behind him. "They said Shadow's looking for you," he finished casually.

"He is…?" A cross between hope and fear glimmered in Mercury's eyes.

"Bro!" the wrecked hedgehog hollered as he retrieved his board. "You totally scratched the finish!!" The other one ignored him, responding instead to the newcomer's question.

"Yeah…enough that we all heard about it, anyway. Didn't even know if you came across too, ya know?"

"Came across?"

The first brother quickly butted in. "Yeah, your pop's an alien!"

"Bro…" the other groaned, "you have you no tact." He smiled apologetically to Mercury. "Sorry, I'm Rift, and this idiot is my brother Blitz. What he's trying to say is that…uhh…you are on Earth, but not _your_ Earth. You're…in another dimension." He paused, fully expecting the weird look he received in return. "Okay, reality test. You know who Sara is?"

"Sara?" Mercury echoed. "Nn…no…."

"Ash? Maria?"

The confused boy shook his head.

"Then you're not from this world."

Blitz shrugged. "I think it's better that we show him." Tucking his board under his arm, he placed Mercury with a grin. "You know Sonic and Amy?"

He nodded. "I do know them."

"Yeah, well, we're their kids. Ready for a race?"

"Uh…." was all Mercury managed before Blitz tore out, sending the other two reeling in his explosive wake. Rift sighed a bit.

"What the dope meant to say is follow us, will ya? You can use my board if you want."

Mercury blinked at the Gear, having never used one before. "Umm…I'll just go on foot." His choice met a nod from Rift.

"I kinda like running better myself. Come on!" He grabbed hold of Mercury's arm and hurried to pull him into one of the park's nearby vendor alleys. Seconds later, a purple blur rushed by. "I thought you might feel better without Blitz around." From there he led the way at a much more reasonable pace, making a bit of small talk as he went. After answering a few questions, a smile formed on Mercury's face for the first time since they'd met.

"You're a lot nicer than your brother," he remarked, evoking a chuckle from Rift.

"Heh, thanks. He's really not so bad; he just thinks he's cooler than he is."

Even a bit of a laugh was returned, as well as a question of his own. "So, um, where exactly are we going?"

"To Uncle Sh—to the house where your dad is."

"My dad?!" A smelly burnt rubber streak was left behind Mercury as he skidded to a halt. Rift maintained his pace but swerved into a U-turn to join the distraught hedgehog's side, who stared fretfully at the road ahead. "……I don't think I want to see him…."

"Well," Rift speculated, "if he didn't wanna see you, we probably wouldn't know you exist."

"Is he…mad?"

"I don't think so. Dad said he was pissed about something that had to do with Sara, but…." He blinked and smiled reassuringly at his new friend. "Don't worry. The house is considered a no-exploding zone."

Mercury gave a hesitant nod but pitched a stipulation. "Could you go in first and make sure?"

"Yeah, sure."

Reaching the residence didn't take long. While Mercury slowed before the structure to take in its typical American landscaping, Rift jogged up to the front door and rang the bell., which Maria soon answered.

"Hey, Rift," she greeted, then paused as her crimson eyes shifted to Mercury. Rift set his Extreme Gear beside the door.

"Heya. Is your dad—uhh…Shadow here?"

"Yeah. Come on in."

"He isn't…mad at anyone or anything, is he?" The question received a strange look from the girl. "Is he? I mean, your dad's a grouch anyway."

Maria snorted a bit. "I think he's a little weirded out by Mom, but otherwise he seems normal."

"Okay, well, he's got company." Rift glanced over his shoulder at Mercury, who remained at a safe distance. "Come on, it's safe." Both he and Maria stepped aside to allow the anxious guest in. He crept past them silently, though his pounding heart drummed in his own ears. Following him in, Rift made a point of shutting the door in case the anxious boy had any second thoughts.

Sara was in the kitchen preparing supper when she cast a glance out to see who was at the door. Her eyes fluttered at the sight of the young hedgehog whom Shadow had described the night before, and she quickly made her way over.

"Hi…I take it you're Mercury," she greeted with a welcoming smile. At his nod, she went on, "Shadow's told me a bit about you. You really do resemble him with those colors and the tuft." Her hand motioned briefly to his metallic red-hued chest. The child glanced down at himself, and when he looked back up, his father was standing in the hall, staring. The room went silent as the two stood in place, paralyzed by a plethora of mixed emotions. Finally Shadow started forth, moving quickly toward the wide-eyed boy, who slowly shrank away. Red gradient quills were pressed against the door when, in a single motion, he was snatched up into a tight embrace.


	5. Fighting for Balance

Chapter 5 – Fighting for Balance

Morning wasn't treating Shadow very well. For starters, he had a headache, and a bad feeling it was only going to get worse. A quick scouring of the medicine cabinet did provide him with a couple of aspirin, but another scouring of the kitchen revealed very little, and that was bad--not for his soon to be upset stomach, as the instructions recommended eating before or after taking the pills, but for his son's sake. His other self might as well have lived as a monk on a rice bowl a day, as there wasn't more than a day's worth of food, which he was sure wouldn't be to Ash's liking. He also didn't feel like cooking.

As usual, the dark and brooding hedgehog had gotten very little sleep. He'd spent part of the night tossing and turning while trying to blot out his own horrible imaginings. Most of it wasn't that horrible, but he kept reliving his last argument with Sara or dreaming that Ash was nowhere to be found. That was the primary reason he'd also run back and forth between the two bedrooms numerous times that night, only to find Ash asleep in Mercury's bed, clinging to a parasect plush. His relief was very short lived, and when his eyes would fly open, they would instinctively search for the sleeping form of his mate that wasn't there.

While he was making a last desperate sweep of the fridge and the pantries, he managed to glance at a clock: 7:42 AM. 'Sonic will be here shortly,' he thought and headed to the boy's room, empty handed. "Ash? Get up, Sonic's going to be here in a few."

A groggy yawn was returned to him, and he decided to try one more time to see if he could scrounge up something that resembled breakfast. As he was heading into the kitchen again, however, he noticed a flashing light next to the phone. A quick playback on the answering machine told him that he was missed at work the other day; rather, his other self was. This meant that he had employment, and the man talking (Randy, the security manager) had voiced concern at his not showing up the other day.

Shadow's mental processes were already in full tilt, mulling over the recorded message and its implications. He had a job. His alt had a job, at least. Last he checked, no call, no show was a serious offense. He had no idea how long he and Ash would be here, but a job would be handy, and one was already provided him. He quickly decided it was of mutual benefit to him and his other self to try to salvage the job if he could.

The conversation was brief, but he explained that circumstances forced him "to go to the MRC" yesterday to get something "checked out" with him and his son. The security manager Randy was relieved to hear from him and that the two were okay. Next, Shadow grabbed a pen and paper nearby and asked for his schedule, also inquiring if he could take the next couple of days off for personal leave. He had no way of knowing that the other Shadow had only recently started the job, but since he was the first Mobian security staff at Diamond Mill Mall, and was a pretty good one, Randy was very lenient with him and accepted the request he normally would have turned down.

As he was hanging up the phone, that piece of business out of the way, the clock ticked over to 7:57AM and was accompanied by a knock at the door.

"Knock knock!" Sonic's voice piped cheerily through the door. He was singing something to himself, almost ignoring Shadow when he opened the door, continuing in a good tenor range, "-Shave and a haircut..."

"...What?"

Sonic grinned widely. "--Two bits and top of the mornin'! Ready to go?"

It seemed to the red eyed and irritable hedgehog that Sonic was Sonic...no matter what dimension he hailed from. He suppressed an awkward glance before replying evenly, "Yeah, pretty much, but for my son..." He took a glance back at the door to Mercury's room, where the sleepy boy was just emerging, dragging the parasect plush in tow.

Sonic placed the boy with a ponderous gaze for a minute. Ash looked back at him questioningly, his crimson eyes absent of any of the traces of tension ingrained in his father's. "Hmm...at his age, he's more likely to slow us down more than anything. I think it'd be a good idea to find a babysitter."

"Amy," Shadow put in swiftly.

Sonic gaped at him a moment, wondering at his snap decision. He was going to say something about her already watching Iris but just closed his mouth again and nodded numbly. '_I always thought Shadow was a weirdo….'_

--

Although Shadow had come to terms with the fact he was in another world, it hadn't seemed that different from Earth's perspective. His home was there, his old apartment was there, _Sonic_ was there, of course. It wasn't until they passed through the World Gate to visit Angel Island that he realized just _how_ different things actually were.

The first difference was Gate City, or the lack thereof. The monorail platform was expansive and nearly as large as its counterpart in Station Square, but beyond that, it was little more than a pit stop to other points on Mobius. In his world; Gate City was a small, well...city. It wasn't large or impressive as cities went, but it was there and fresh in Shadow's mind as his feet padded the familiar trail to Tails' workshop.

Tails' shop was about the same size and location as he recalled, though it had a much more rural view surrounding it. The young vulpine was as expected, though, greeting them cheerfully and happy to help out. He was the first person to really seem to understand his situation as well, and Shadow could almost hear the mechanics at work in his head, thinking up his own solutions.

After a quick glance around the flight hangar, he noticed a certain silence apart from the machines. "So...where's the pups?" he asked in an offhand way, drawing both Sonic and Tails' attention.

"Oh...I've got a family on your world?" Tails returned with a good-natured smile as he prepped one of his planes for takeoff.

"Yeah…just...not here, huh?"

Tails shook his head. "No...sorry." He laughed a little bit at himself. "I think I should get out a little more, though..."

"Yeah! We really need to hang out more, just like old times!" Sonic beamed, taking his place on the plane and motioning Shadow to join him.

From there, things went smoothly, the crimson-streaked passenger seeming less anxious for the time being. Within a couple hours' flight from the Mystic Ruins, the floating island had come into sight. It was always something to behold, adrift in the air like that. Even Sonic seemed to appreciate the wild expanse of Mobius, mostly untouched by civilization, its remains falling into ruin...

_'Ruins?'_ Shadow thought as he noticed the next hunk of real-estate missing...Echidnopolis. While Knuckles may have been the guardian of the Master Emerald, he was hardly the world's last echidna. This was true of both worlds, however; the high-tech city that accented the pristine landscape was no more than a few scarred ruins full of overgrowth. In this world, the island may have once been inhabited, but any echidnas took up residence on the surface. '_I wonder what happened….'_ Of course, Shadow didn't think to ask about it, and as the ground drew up to meet them, he had more important things to consider.

--

"I'll be waiting with the plane," Tails announced as the two hedgehogs were embarking from the vehicle.

"Okay!" Sonic replied, and started off with only a glance at Shadow and a smirk on his face.

"Thanks..." The red-streaked hedgehog was annoyed at Sonic for just bolting like that but was also in a hurry to get things over with. Perhaps Sara had rubbed off on him a bit, as he waited for people to finish speaking or say proper "farewell"s before leaving usually. Sonic's lack of manners wasn't surprising but for the fact that he and Tails were close friends. Then again, if he was living here more often than not, then maybe his Sonic and Tails were closer. '_Quit thinking like that. You're here. You're trying to go home. Focus, Shadow...focus.'_ "You did tell Knuckles we were coming, right?" he said at last, speeding up to follow directly at Sonic's side.

"Nah. Why should I?" The blue blur shrugged.

Shadow almost laughed at that but managed to maintain his humorless visage. "You mean he's not going to beat you up for not calling ahead?"

Sonic's shoulders rose in another dismissive shrug, speeding for the Master Emerald shrine "Nah. He doesn't care."

Shadow was skeptical of his...friend, but kept quiet. It wasn't long before they were in the presence of the guardian, who was covered with dust and dirt and squinting at them in a suspicious way. 'R_ight...he doesn't care.'_

"What brings you two here?"

"I want to know why I'm in this world," Shadow responded quickly.

Knuckles was about to say something when Sonic cut in with a casual grin on his face, "Hey, Knucklehead, mind if we borrow that big gem up there?"

The guardian did a double take at the two of them. "Say what?!"

'_And Sonic is still an idiot….'_ Shadow thought inwardly, content in the knowledge that some things never changed. "I don't belong here and need to find out how to go home."

"...To the ARK?" the red echidna ventured in confusion.

"No." Shadow sighed in a familiar way that said he was bored with repetition. He'd explained himself more than enough, hadn't he? "It's not that simple... I'm from another dimension. I'm...some other reality's Shadow."

"Yeah," Sonic confirmed to the violet-eyed guardian's disbelieving gaze. "Heh, he's Shadow, but not 'our' Shadow."

"That's right," the ultimate said in flat monotone. His crimson eyes gazed at some ruins where Echidnopolis should have been sitting. He wanted to say something about it but forced himself to stay quiet, yet his gaze wasn't ignored.

"What are you looking at?" Knuckles questioned.

"The city...there should be a city there," Shadow mumbled quietly. "Echidnopolis...a whole city's missing..."

"City?" Knux' face contorted in what could be called contemplation. "Hasn't been a city there for eons…."

"Oh yeah." Sonic shrugged and tapped the ground with a shoe-covered toe. "His world's different from ours. I think he'd like to get back to it, though, so we need to borrow the Master Emerald!"

"What do you mean 'borrow'?" Knuckles growled lowly.

Shadow grunted a reply, "You can talk to the emerald, right?"

"Yeah. But you guys are _not_ taking the Master Emerald anywhere!" he returned sourly, glaring mostly at Sonic.

"So talk to it..." Shadow made an airy motion toward the emerald shrine. "That's all we want."

"But he said 'borrow'!" Knuckles snorted accusingly at Sonic, who just smirked and laughed.

"Dude, chill! It's just a figure of speech, duh!" the blue hedgehog retorted wistfully.

The darker hedgehog fought the urge to smile at the situation. Something about his total lack of tact with the guardian was drawing out memories of home, of ill-planned get-togethers and impromptu black eyes. He snapped himself out of it and grabbed Knuckles' arm and spun him toward the shrine. "Come on, do something useful, why don't you? We're wasting time."

"Hey!" Knuckles protested, but eventually all were standing before the Master Emerald. It glittered radiantly in the light of day, each facet reflecting both natural and unnatural light stemming from the power contained within. It was the one warming balm to the guardian's soul, a comfort knowing it was always there...as long as meddlers kept their paws off of it. The image of a bat flitted in and out of his mind. He and Shadow sometimes seemed to vie for the spot of "most dour" looking in Sonic's cast of friends, but he was feeling upbeat at the Chaos aura, the power that felt much like it wanted to be used right now. "...So you say you're from some other dimension?" he asked rhetorically of Shadow.

"Yes. Now just ask the rock there how I get home."

"I'll ask...see what It has to say."

"That's what we're here for," Shadow snorted indignantly.

Knuckles shot him a glare but turned quick enough to the emerald. He could feel the aura radiating off it; it was kind of "anxious" about something. He muttered something under his breath and held up a hand. His eyes closed and the world melted away. Chaos power channeled through his body through his gloved fingertips and wound through his body into his mind. Images, feelings, thoughts, they all crowded and swirled around in his consciousness. It was very rare that the emeralds would speak through a personification, but for a moment, he saw the jewel-bright eyes of a hedgehog child staring back at him through the void. He knew what to say now...he just wasn't sure what it meant. A tingle shot up his spine at that.

"...Well?" Shadow said irritably as he watched the guardian's work from an external vantage point. He was more perceptive than Sonic when it came to the emerald's power, so he knew a good deal of it had just flown through and departed the lone echidna.

"...Balance," Knuckles said at last, taking a small, staggering step backwards. "It said both sides of your heart need balance..."

"What?" Shadow quirked a curious brow.

"'...Some hearts embrace too tightly, while others don't embrace enough. Both halves need to be balanced...' ...That's what it said." Knuckles shrugged. The image of the hedgehog child wouldn't leave him alone. '_Creepy girl...I wonder how she's connected….'_ "Well, there you go, one emerald reading. If you want fortunes told too, I suggest going to Amy."

"Har har," the hedgehog replied. "...So what does it mean?" He quickly darted a look at Sonic that told him to be serious "or else."

Knuckles scratched the back of his head idly. "Well...if there's two Shadows...and the other one's in your world..." Shadow gave a tentative nod, "then the balance thing probably means both of you have to do something to create that...balance." He held his hand up to the emerald once more, but the jewel had become silent to him. At least on Shadow's situation, it felt like it had given up enough clues for him to go on.

"Heh...how we gonna communicate with him? Not like we got some cross-world telephones," Sonic commented, to a shrug from Knux.

"That's all I got for ya."

Shadow grunted. He hated the emeralds...they always seemed to have cryptic little riddles floating around them. When they became involved, things were never easy. He gave a defeated sigh. "So any ideas?"

"...Lighten up?" Sonic suggested. "Probably that grinch complex, where your heart's four sizes too small!" Sonic laughed.

"Two sizes," Shadow snapped, impressing Sonic that he was familiar with any pop culture items, though the reclusive guardian missed the whole analogy. "And I should pound you into the ground for that..."

"Heh! Don't see _you_ coming up with anything!" Sonic smirked widely.

"Hmph...not like I have a time limit...I think..." Shadow responded.

"Maybe..." Knuckles started, taking on that curious and almost intelligent inkling in his tone, "it means one of you needs to open up more, and the other needs to...back off somehow?"

Shadow gave a wary look, but it was Sonic that spoke up, "Our Shadow has an issue with trying to keep anything from changing. It's like...he's scared it's going to blow up in his face if he tries anything new. Super control freak." The smile forming on his face was quickly shot down by Shadow's look. There was a time when making fun of him would have been...more fun.

"I don't understand why I'm here... Everything was just fine..."

"Apparently the Master Emerald disagrees." Sonic shrugged, then scratched behind his ear idly.

Shadow growled and glared at him as he headed down the steps of the emerald shrine. "It's fine!" he lied through gritted teeth, memories of his fight with Sara ringing in his head.

"Yeah, well, better start thinking a little harder if you really," and Sonic stretched out the word, "want to get home!"

The explosive force in Shadow evaporated quickly, and he fell into a more contemplative and downcast visage. "Nnn...maybe I do have some issues…."

"Yeah?" Sonic grinned widely again...Shadow admitting faults. Even if it wasn't his world's Shadow...he would savor this moment.

"None of your business, blue boy!" Shadow snarled.

"It is if you wanna get home!" Sonic snapped back.

"Like you know who I am..." He glared harshly at Sonic.

Knuckles could feel the tension in the air; even he wasn't naive enough not to recognize the volatile situation. "Guys..."

"Oh let's see..." Sonic said, following Shadow, "stubborn, impatient, perfectionist, grouchy, hateful, full of yourself..."

"I've had enough of you!" Shadow snarled fully and launched a homing attack at the blue blur.

Sonic rose into the air, countering with a homing attack of his own. The two combatants landed a few feet from each other, the piercing crimson eyes he was familiar with looking into his cool green orbs. He took a relaxed stance but kept his gaze firm. "Like it or not, I'm really trying to help you out here! You need to stop kidding yourself and come to terms with whatever your problem is if you ever wanna go home!"

Shadow turned his gaze to the horizon. He stood there like a statue for a moment, turning things over in his head. Of course, he'd thought about it every free moment he wasn't worrying about his son. It all stemmed from that argument, didn't it? "I'm...not very social...it's the only thing Sara's consistently complained about."

"Well then," Sonic gave a good-natured smile and clapped Shadow on the shoulder, "maybe a little time out on the town is just what the doctor ordered!"

"W-what?!"

"Hang out, have fun, make friends! Is that really so horrible?"

Shadow scowled a bit. "That's what Sara said..."

"Heh! Sounds like your mate's got a little sense, at least!"

"More than her cousin..." Shadow rolled his eyes.

"Well, if you guys don't need me…." Knuckles started, but was caught by a crimson gaze. He froze.

"Oh no...if _I_ have to go partying or whatever, so do you!" Shadow insisted.

"W-wha...but I have an emerald to guard!" Knuckles replied.

Shadow tilted his head toward the gem. "Doesn't look like it's going anywhere to me."

"C'mon, Knux! It'll be fun! Besides, this is what the emerald wants! You should be involved, right?" Sonic argued, unable to wipe the smile off his face, and was it just him or was that Shadow's pale attempt at humor?

"I...I don't know..." the guardian said hesitantly.

"You can bring your mate or girlfriend if you want," Shadow offered.

"Aww! What's Rouge gonna say if she finds out you turned down a chance for a get-together?" Sonic put in enthusiastically.

_'Rouge...? Huh…they did have a bit of an attraction once….'_ Shadow thought on that one. He hadn't asked about Julie-su, but the idea of him and bat-girl...

"Sh-she's not the boss of me! ..." Knuckles attempted to regain his composure but had fumbled it somewhere and had trouble picking it back up. "So...uh...what'd you have in mind?"

"Up to blue boy, but if the gem gets filched, I'll personally help you beat the tar out of him." Shadow shrugged.

"I dunno." Sonic shrugged.

"Fine," Knuckles agreed at last.

"Guess Tails is in too since he's how we got here..." A mused smile spread on his lips at the thought of Knux and Rouge together. The girl-shy guardian and the none-too-shy jewel thief. The smile faded when he caught a weird look on Sonic's face. "...What?"

"...Just, I don't think I've ever seen you smile that wide." Sonic chuckled. "I'm sure Tails wouldn't mind joinin' us. How about some cool place where we can all enjoy the atmosphere? Like...Dave & Buster's?"

"That place?" Shadow blinked; he'd never been there, but-- "Funny...that's the place you suggested last time…." he trailed off.

"Last time...?" Even Knuckles' curiosity had piqued a bit.

"Nothing. You and Amy were over recently, that's all..."

"Yeah...? What else did I say?" Sonic inquired, a curious grin on his lips.

Shadow sighed; would he have to draw out everything for this block-headed blue hedgehog? "Just that we should go there sometime...like Friday or something..."

"Yeah! It's a kickin' place! Part restaurant, part arcade. It's like a Chuck E. Cheese's for grownups!" Sonic smiled brightly.

Shadow slapped his forehead. "Gah...no wonder Sara wanted to go."

Knuckles felt like he was missing something, starting with who Sara was, but he'd have to ask Sonic that at a less embarrassing time. "So...when do you want to meet?"

# - # - # - # - # - # - # - #

No one got much sleep in the house that night, but for a refreshing change of pace, it was actually due to a good reason. Shadow sat nearby in relative silence while Sara and Maria got to know Mercury a little better, both asking and being asked a number of questions. Earlier they'd learned of his encounter with Cream and he'd learned of the other Shadow and Ash, but now the topics were more personal, relating to tastes and hobbies and the like. They were just beginning to discuss the circumstances leading up to the dimensional exchange when Shadow decided it was time his son got some rest.

Mercury was allowed to use Ash's bed, which he did despite a growing inclination to remain near his father. Shadow was set to make use of the couch again when he was approached by Sara.

"This might sound kinda silly, but…could I get you to sleep in the bed with me tonight?" At the cockeyed glance he gave her she went on, "I know you're not my Shadow, but it'd really make me feel a lot better, like he's still here."

He almost seemed to be considering it for a moment before the scowl returned to his visage. "I'm not here to play house. I only came to extract the information I need from your daughter…if the damn emeralds would just cooperate."

Sara sighed. "Fine." She walked off quickly, only to return seconds later with a pillow and sheet in tow. "If you won't come up, I'll just join you down here." Shadow watched in half disbelief as she began to unfold the sofa's built-in bed. This rather defeated the purpose of his using it. The idea of being found this way by the children come morning didn't sit well with him either. He rubbed his temples as he headed for the stairs.

"If you're just going to insist on accompanying me there's no point in being down here." A smile grew on Sara's face as she followed.

Their night together was as uneventful as the previous one. After a few short, vague answers to her questions, Sara gave up on conversation and turned over to drift into less than fitful sleep. As sunlight streamed through the window the next morning, she shifted to nestle against the likeness of her mate…only he wasn't there.

Shadow had been up for nearly two hours mulling things on the sofa when Maria ventured down to watch some TV before breakfast. He made a point of conversing with the girl, trying through key words and even a tiny dose of Chaos energy to trigger her channeled state, to no avail. He was contemplating a stronger surge of Chaos when Sara made her way down.

"Mornin'," she mumbled to the two, brushing her bangs out of her face as she continued on into the kitchen and began to rummage through the cabinets. "Hey, 'Ria, could you go get Mercury down for breakfast?" As her daughter did so, she sprayed cooking oil on the waffle iron and plugged it in. "…Any plans for today?" she then asked Shadow, who approached the counter between them.

"I'm going to see about borrowing a Chaos Emerald from Sonic or Tails or finding one of my own if I have to," he resolved. "There has to be a way to induce the Chaos in Maria."

"I know you're trying to get back to your own world as soon as possible, but just in case it takes longer…could I ask an important favor of you?" She turned to be sure she had his full attention. "My Shadow was supposed to go in to work today. I went ahead and called off on his behalf, but I don't know how long I can put 'em off…."

His eyes widened a bit. "What is his job?"

"It's not really hard work…he's with a research company that monitors local plant and animal populations, so basically he gets to run around all day collecting data and sometimes tagging birds or digging up soil samples."

"And you want me to take his place until he returns?"

She nodded. "That's the idea."

By the time Mercury came down, Shadow had already been served his waffle and the iron's maw gaped ready for another. "Strawberries, blueberries, or bananas?" Sara offered. Both children chose blueberries, which were dumped in a generous heap into the batter. Minutes later, Mercury received the first waffle, but not wanting to keep Maria waiting on hers, he cut it in half. Silence then filled the kitchen as they chewed and Sara began to cook the final waffle for herself.

"…Dad?" Mercury spoke up a few bites into his meal. Shadow looked to him, and he swallowed his hesitation. "…Is Miss Sara my new mother?" There was another, less silent lapse in conversation as Shadow nearly choked and Sara winced at flinching into the waffle iron.

"No," Shadow finally managed after clearing his throat.

"Will I still be going to Miss Amy?"

"We'll talk about it later!" The words were sharp enough to ward off any insistence on the boy's part. He looked back down to his food.

"Sorry…."

Sara took no such hint as she brought her own waffle over. "Amy? She's your mother?"

Mercury nodded. "Kind of…."

"What do you mean 'kind of'?" Maria joined in.

"My first mama died," he explained quietly, "and then Miss Amy became my mother…but she says she's always-"

"Eat your waffle," Shadow snapped. Shrinking in his seat, the boy quickly stuffed a piece in his mouth.

Maria glanced at her mother, who was mentally connecting the dots between this conversation and prior ones about this Shadow's past. "…Why do you look so serious?" Sara blinked and glared at her.

"Eat your waffle!"

The next few minutes played out in relative silence, until Sara managed to bring up some decidedly more trivial subjects. Shadow was hardly up for Pokemon talk, however, and hastened to finish the last of his breakfast.

"I'll be back," he announced as he stood up, his eyes falling on Sara. "I'd prefer to leave Mercury here in the meantime if it won't be a problem."

"Of course not," she assured him, then got up and gave him a hug. "Hurry back."

He nodded tensely. "I will." He wasn't about to let this take a minute longer than it had to.

Two hours later, Shadow let himself back in house with an aqua-toned Chaos Emerald in hand. Finding the living room empty, he ventured across it into the den, where he found Sara sitting sullenly in front of the TV. "I'm back. Where's Maria?"

"She and Mercury went out to the Gear park," she responded, switching off the set. Her ears bent a bit at his irritated growl. "What's wrong?"

"I wanted them to stay here so I could use this on her," he muttered, holding up the gem to her uneasy glance.

"…They'll probably be back soon. Come here, have a seat. I wanna talk to you." She went on as he reluctantly complied, "I think I understand things a little better…about your domestic situation." Her hand stroked each of his quills soothingly, though from the tension they returned she could tell the effort wasn't proving too effective. "You don't trust people easily to begin with…and the one who hurt you…."

Shadow responded amidst her sigh, "I don't concern myself with it anymore."

"…I don't know what circumstances you two got together under…but I know if she'd given you some time, I think she'd have been happy with you. Mercury seems like a good kid, so you must be doing something right." Her gentle smile faulted at his snort.

"He's troubled. My curse is starting to catch up with him."

"What curse?"

"The one that sees to it that nothing in my life goes right."

"You're not cursed," she insisted as she resumed stroking him. "You just think you are. All you need is a little confidence that things will work out in the end."

"Hmph. I'm too confident that they won't. All I can do is prepare him for it." The words had barely left his mouth before Sara jabbed an angry fist into his arm. Instantly he was on his feet, glowering fiercely as she proceeded to scold him.

"With that kind of attitude, seems like you're trying to ensure that he fails!"

"I'm trying to be realistic!" he snarled back.

"Let me ask you…do you want him to be just like you, or better?"

"I want him to be _nothing_ like me. He deserves a much better life than that."

"Well he's not you, and you're not helping him by going through life always assuming the worst!"

Shadow headed for the door, having had quite enough, but erupted with a final counter. "How I raise my son is none of your concern! You don't know me half as well as you think you do, and you know nothing of what we've been through!. If you really want to help," emphasis surged through gritted teeth, "_back off_."

Sara was still holed up in the den when Maria and Mercury returned nearly an hour later. Shadow immediately began emerald-enhanced Chaos manipulation with the girl, trying just about every tactic he could think of short of making her eat the gem. Mercury observed them from the couch as another hour passed, until his stomach was talking too loudly for him to remain quiet.

"Dad, I'm going to go to McDonald's, okay?"

Shadow's head snapped toward his son. "You're not leaving this house again without me!"

"…W-well, uh, will you go there with me, then?"

"In a minute."

Maria looked to the hedgehog who so resembled her father with pleading eyes. "Can I go too?"

Shadow gave half a shrug. "You want to come, ask your mother."

"Okay! --Where is she?" A thumb was pointed at the door that adjoined the living room and the den. Maria nodded eagerly and hurried through. Seconds later she emerged, frowning and rubbing her cheek. "…We can go."

"What happened?" Mercury pressed at the sudden change.

"Mom hit me…." She sounded like she hardly believed it herself.

"Because you wanted to go to McDonald's??"

"She said 'if you wanna go so badly just go!' and then she slapped me." The distraught girl reached to wipe her eyes when Shadow quickly brushed past her toward the den, growling.

"Wait outside."

Shoving the door open, he found Sara sobbing into her hands on the couch. It did nothing to deter him from coming over and tightly gripping her wrist. "What in the hell was that?!" he demanded, pulling her roughly toward him. "You want to hit someone? How about me?!" Her cries became nearly hysterical as she feebly attempted to pull away. "Go ahead, give it your best shot—or do you prefer little girls?" At last her free hand formed a fist, and she swung it into the white of his chest, powerlessly. She then buried her face into the tuft, continuing to sob as her arm slipped around him. He stood motionless for a moment, his own hand loosing its grip on her. "……Listen to me. I don't know what went on in here with the other Shadow, but if you care about him and your children as much as you say you do, you will never do that again. Dimensional travel or not, you're going to lose her for good that way."

"I've never hit her before," she choked out. "I felt sorry the second it happened…." Her trembling body received its first gesture of comfort since the entire ordeal began as he returned her embrace. "I don't understand...I hate being alone, but I feel like hiding…."

"Everyone works through things in their own ways...but in the very least, you should apologize to your daughter."

"I will. I just...really got to missing them today...and...stupid as it is...I pictured you three leaving and not coming back when she said that…."

There was a short pause on his end. "You're welcome to come with us." She looked up with a weak smile.

"So you've started looking out for me, huh?"

"……I know part of this is my fault. I want to start making the best of things while I'm here...for everyone's sake." He took a step back, prompting her release. "And if that means a Big Mac and a bucket of fries, so be it."


	6. Chaotic Reunion

Chapter 6 - Chaotic Reunion

Things were turning out to be strained for both father and son. While Shadow was coming to acknowledge his social ineptitude and grudgingly accept Sonic's offered help, Ash was in the care of Amy and mercy of Misty. The girl hadn't made a good impression the previous night, and though it started out looking like the two might get along, it hadn't gone well.

Shadow had failed to tell Ash exactly what was going on, so the young hedgehog was confused about his cousins Blitz and Rift being absent. Amy had thought they were a rock band or something. Misty had distracted him the previous night when it was theorized that he and his dad were from another reality altogether, so he hadn't thought seriously about the fact he wasn't home yet. It wasn't that he didn't miss being in his mother's arms, or playing with the guys; he just didn't _think_ there was anything really wrong. It was a little weird, having others living in his house, Chris asking him so many questions, nobody seeming to know his mom...it just hadn't really sunk in yet.

Whether it was her place or not, Misty was the one to explain that he was from another dimension. This was all right until she began growing resentful of the house guest, who got more icing on his cinnamon roll for breakfast. He was also a better player than she was in Smash Brothers. She also figured he'd be just like Mercury, which he wasn't. That is, he didn't do whatever she said and questioned her constantly.

--

Sonic and Shadow were taking the final strides up to the blue hedgehog's homestead while he rattled off a list of places to go and things to do. Although Shadow _had_ agreed that his antisocial nature was his worst attribute, anger was quickly rising on the list. He was even partly beginning to regret agreeing to dinner at Dave and Busters. He had managed to stave Sonic off a day, at least, while he sorted out domestic affairs, mostly dealing with figuring out how to access his alt's finances and where work was.

"I'm home!" Sonic announced cheerfully as he threw the door open and strolled in casually.

"Daddy!" the lavender child returned excitedly, giving her father a big welcome hug. Shadow watched in apparent disinterest.

"Ahh! You're just in time!" Amy's voice filtered through from the kitchen. "I've got chicken adobo and some snickerdoodles ready!"

"Adobo...?" Shadow repeated in quiet speculation. He was used to Sara bringing home weird recipes, most of them from Amy, but not essentially executed as well. But that was enough time for speculation. "Ash!" he called sharply, waiting for the boy to come to him.

He would have waited a bit longer but for Sonic grabbing his arm and tugging him along. "C'mon, slowpoke! Food, chow, grub! I know even the ultimate's gotta eat." he chided, both him and his daughter giggling at that. Shadow sneered.

"Ash," he called again once he halted in the kitchen doorway. His eyes quickly scanned the familiar surroundings. Aside Misty's art being tacked up on the fridge, and a few less day-camp pottery fixtures that were supposedly cups, it was much as he remembered the interior of the hedgehog kitchen being. Ash was sitting on a countertop leaned over a plate that Amy was transferring cookies to.

"Can I have one?" he asked innocently. His ear was tilted toward his father, though, so he had to have heard.

"As long as your father doesn't mind." Amy smiled softly. Her bratty daughter demanded a cookie and got it without effort from her emotionally taxed mother.

"Oh...okay..." his voice replied uncertainly and he slid off the counter carefully, keeping part of his face turned from Shadow, acting like it was just his interest in the cookies that had kept him. "Hey, Dad! Can I have a cookie?"

"If you come here..." the crimson-striped hedgehog said in leaded tones. Everyone in the room seemed to tense at that, and Sonic and Amy exchanged glances. Of course, returning a bruised Mercury to Shadow was a bad idea, so Ash's head injury was far from unnoticed when the boy closed the gap between him and his dad with super-speed and honored him with a firm but slightly trembling hug. His expression darkened. "What happened?"

Amy gave a diplomatic cough and apologetic gaze. "Umm...sorry...he and Iris got into a little squabble earlier… I'm not sure what happened, just that Iris said something that upset him and he came running out of her room and hit his head..."

Misty rolled her eyes, apparently not concerned about Shadow's ire. "It's not my fault he took it the wrong way!" her tone haughty and full of herself. She didn't seem phased by the red-hot glare, and took an extra cookie over to their guests. "Hello, Mr. Shadow! Here's a cookie for my new lil' brother!" she announced cheerfully, offering the snickery goodness.

"I'm not your brother!" Ash barked furiously.

"Whatever she said, you need to learn to control your child," Shadow said coldly, gazing past the girl as though she weren't there.

"Control _my_ child?!" Sonic balked. "Kids scrap, so what!? He's not even banged up that bad! And she was just offering a cookie!"

"She said we're never going home and I'm not going to see Mama ever again! She's mean and she's a liar and she's a brat!" Ash choked out in a higher than normal tone, tears forming in his eyes at the event. The boy hadn't considered that they might not get home, and Shadow's scowl well broadcast to everyone but Misty that he was a shade more than irritated.

"Ehh...Iris can seem a little cold sometimes, but she's really a sweet kid..." Sonic assured the guest hedgehogs as they moved to sit down to eat.

The meal that followed started out awkward, with Sonic asking Shadow to say grace, but managed to improve. Conversation started out innocently enough, focusing on different food tastes, Shadow commenting how Sara liked eating Sushi and passed that onto Ash, so he'd try anything at least once. That brought up the topic of speculation around why Sonic's uncle had stayed single in this dimension. Amy offered the recipe for the chicken, though that brought up a new point that Sara probably already had the recipe. Sara hadn't been much of a cook when they met, and she'd actually been carrying groceries for a baking spree headed up by Amy when the two of them had initially met.

It turned awkward again when Shadow mentioned Sonic and Amy's alternate children. "...I hope Mercury found something to eat..." Amy wondered out loud.

"I'm sure he's fine," Shadow insisted.

"He pro'lly ran away because of her," Ash put in snidely, glaring at the girl from across the table. He ate his food without complaint, while Misty had already wrangled Sonic into promising her Burger King later. Maybe it came from the fact his mom had started having him help in the kitchen, but he felt bad if he couldn't finish his meal, and furious along with his mom when home-cooking was snubbed.

"Out of jealousy maybe!" Sonic smirked, then yelped when Amy kicked him.

The subject had shifted, and Shadow's thought process began wondering about himself again, or his other self at least. Self-examination was key in going home, that much he was sure of. Perhaps his counterpart had something on him? Any sense of propriety flew out the window as he blurted out the next question on his mind, and it revolved around Amy and his alternate child, "So why did you...we…" he started, looking directly at the pink hedgehog, "...what was it that attracted you to...me?"

Silence proved it wasn't golden as Amy's cheeks flushed and she looked utterly mortified. Sonic took on an uncharacteristically calculating visage. "Umm...it was...unusual circumstances. We weren't together very long." Crimson eyes continued piercing her to pry more out.

Amidst stammering, embarrassed, and mute responses, Sonic cut in sharply, "It was just poor judgment."

"Like you're High One's gift to women?!" Shadow retorted.

"When you got it, you got it!" Sonic grinned, but there was malice behind it, his cobalt quills bristling in a threatening way. "And at least _I_ don't go around calling myself the 'ultimate' life form!"

Shadow gave a cheesy grin in reply, looking far more natural in his cynical posturing. "When you got it, you got it." He rolled his eyes and turned back to Amy. "I just want to know...if there was anything there personally... I just.. I had to have _some_ kind of...I don't know...I just feel like if I understood the other me, I might get home sooner…."

Amy gave a weak smile. "Well, you're a lot more open than him, but...about the same otherwise."

"There, happy?" Sonic snarled.

"Not really...you guys have an extra bedroom, right?" Shadow continued, to shocked looks from both of the hedgehogs. "...Did my face fall off or something?"

"Umm...yes, we have a guest room," Amy responded finally. "Did you want to...spend the night?"

Shadow nodded. "Yeah. I don't want to stay at the apartment if I don't have to…." He glanced to his son. "Not that it has any particularly bad memories...it just feels wrong."

"Okay, I can get some extra blankets." Amy smiled amiably, uncertain about the situation. "You kids done? Put your dishes in the sink, please!" With that, dinner concluded abruptly.

Eventually it was down to just Sonic and Shadow in the kitchen, the blue one seething with rage he finally voiced. "You got a lot of nerve invitin' yourself to stay and coming on to Amy like some dog in heat!"

Shadow couldn't help grinning. It was a sick, sleep-deprived, and slightly insane look. He was still upset at his world's Sonic for crashing an evening with him and Sara, and now it was mingling with all the crap he'd put up with and the dinner, and he was going over the edge. He _wanted_ to be antagonistic rather than neutral as he'd tried oh so often. "Afraid I'll do something to your pretty little mate?" His grin widened at the bristled quills. "Hmph." He shrugged and glanced aside, catching sight of one of Misty's drawings. It was like the kind of drawings Maria did for him, and he sighed, remembering his original focus. "Look, blue boy...I have a mate back home, so you have no reason to worry, okay? As for staying here...you're the social one, not me. If the emeralds have me trapped here because of that, I need to do something. Just consider it 'social boot camp' if you will."

While Shadow's temper was starting to cool, Sonic was still worked up and got up in the darker hedgehog's face after bolting from his seat. "If it's boot camp you want..." his emerald eyes flared menacingly, "**I'll** be your drill sergeant!" And with that he stormed off, none too happy.

--

Sonic's having to work the next day afforded Shadow a small break leading up to the social outing to Dave & Buster's. The ultimate had made a point of staying out of the house as much as possible to minimize any conflicts. He was able to keep Ash with him at all times too, since he didn't have to go to work yet.

He did stop by the apartment to gather information on his alt's finances. As expected, his "finances'" were occupying hiding spots in the apartment by way of a small box on a shelf and more in the closet. He was pretty confident that his other self wouldn't come home to an empty wallet one day, so to speak... '_Figures I wouldn't have a bank account here,' _he thought. Although it might not bother _him_ as much if Mercury was out of the apartment as much as had been indicated. As well, the boy was almost at _that age_. Maria was that age too, but she hadn't shown signs of wanting to get out more. The idea of Maria moving out hadn't crossed much until that point. He was going to miss her when she did leave... it was just another topic he was determined not to talk about until it slapped him in the face all too late in the game. While searching for hidden cash, he'd also leafed through a stack of photos, almost all of them of Mercury. He smiled a little bit at that; it assured him he wasn't heartless, even if he was outwardly cold. _'Maybe there is hope for me yet….'_

Shadow also stopped by the Diamond Mill mall, where he was greeted enthusiastically by a female muskrat in the food court. She absolutely adored Ash and said he was so "cute" and pinched his cheeks, and Shadow couldn't wait to get away from his not-so-secret admirer. '_The hell was that all about!?'_ There were others who greeted him in an overtly friendly manner, including the security manager he'd talked to earlier, and he wondered how his other self could be such an extreme recluse. All it took for him was a loaf of bread to the face... He was seriously considering a counseling session with a certain Pizza shop owner at that point.

At last, Friday evening, a group of Mobians finally assaulted D&B. Misty Iris and Ash clung to their parents' sides while heading to the brightly lit restaurant/arcade. Shadow was forced to keep pace with Sonic, as he was not allowed to simply fade into the crowd. Nope, Drill Sergeant Sonic was insistent that he'd have no chance of getting home if he purported himself as a wallflower. At this point, the blue blur had cooled down and was back to enjoying Shadow's discomfort at social outings. Amy remained respectfully quiet most of the time, while Rouge gave the dark one encouragement despite hanging on the arm of a disapproving red echidna. Knuckles was fairly neutral on Shadow's situation, but on the bat's attitude toward him, he had very definite feelings. The adults in the party were rounded out with Tails, who was enjoying the fresh night air--until they hit the stale, smoky insides of the part-bar establishment.

"I think you failed to mention the part smoky bar part..." Shadow frowned.

Sonic shrugged. "It's still _so_ worth it. Look at the arcade machines...seriously!" He beamed, giving his best smile echoing his sentiments. Sara would love this place; minus the smoke. "So...! Eat and play or play and eat? Either way's good for me!"

"Whatever..." Shadow sighed.

"Play!" Ash and Misty said in near-unison. They exchanged awkward glances while the adults had a laugh at it. Soon, the kids were given what looked like credit cards for some of the games and good old-fashioned quarters for the rest. They'd quickly bolted to the arcade machines with Amy sticking nearby to make sure they stayed out of trouble. It really was like a Chuck E. Cheese's in some aspects, save that some of the machines were taller and lacked actual playpen areas filled with colored balls.

"Oooh I hate smoke…." Rouge said dramatically.

"It's a bar, what'd you expect?" Knuckles partly growled. His fists were clenched, and he gave Sonic a lightly suspicious gaze. The blue one knew what they were getting into and he knew he hated anything resembling a bar scene, especially mingled with the smoke. But like alcoholics, he had an addiction, followed one with wings and an ample chest to the bar in spite of himself. Rouge hopped onto one of the bar stools, crossing her luscious legs. The alluring chiroptera then gave a fanged grin and ordered a rather expensive drink.

"I'm not having anything..." Knuckles commented flatly when she lightly elbowed him, though his mouth went dry looking at her.

She coughed. "That wasn't what I asked, Red. We're on a date, so it's your job to pay for everything." Her sultry grin spread across her lips and the echidna reddened further.

Shadow sidled into a seat nearby and ordered a Long Island iced tea that Sonic would be stealing sips off of through the evening. He was trying to think of his earlier dates with Sara, and couldn't recall her insisting he pay for anything, let alone alcohol. That was good since all he had starting out were loans from Tony. On the whole, Sara rather tried to avoid alcohol, which she considered better for her own health, the health of others, and of pocketbook...and he agreed. He couldn't help noticing a bulbous bottle sitting on the rack with the other proffered drinks with some oriental scrawlings on it. It was sake, the only alcoholic beverage she'd ever shown curiosity toward, but that went well with her Asian obsessions. The black hedgehog sipped his drink, grinning inwardly at his musings and hoping he could sit there in the quiet atmosphere without having to do much.

Rouge and Knuckles left Shadow to his thoughts, more interested in other things as Rouge's cup drained. Tails headed off to some helicopter game on his own, but not for long, as a yellow deer mouse named Yvette joined him for the evening. Amy had the easy job of watching the kids, who were getting along in spite of their earlier misgivings. Eventually, Sonic realized the main reason they were there was off by himself. He'd have to put a stop to that.

"Hey! You're not allowed to be alone in here!" Sonic grinned.

Shadow frowned. He took a sip of his drink...it was going to be a long night. "Tails went off on his own."

"Yeah, but he's social enough." Sonic grinned realizing Tails had picked up a date in the process.

"What the heck...he didn't have a date…." Shadow muttered as a game card was slipped into his hand.

Sonic grinned impishly. "He does now. See? No problems for him...it's you we have to work on!" Sonic glanced around D it was actually pretty quiet for a Friday night. _'Disappointing.'_ Didn't deter him from seeking to give the ultimate a little public humiliation. "Ever try DDR?" His grin tightened as far as it could possibly go; yes, he was enjoying this.

Shadow raised a brow and dared a glance at the all too familiar machine. "...Yes."

"Good!" Sonic's grin turned devilish. "Then you know how to play." He yanked Shadow over to the machine, causing him to abandon his drink, though Sonic took the opportunity to attend it behind his back while he danced.

"I hate you…." he muttered under his breath, swiping the card. The game shouted "Let's Dance," attracting the attention of the others who had come with him, including the kids and Rouge. Knuckles frowned in jealously...he may have had reason to fear his dimension's Shadow and still had a hard time recalling that this one was from another world. Sonic laughed as Shadow chose a cutesy female character with cotton-candy hair, then even harder at him picking the highest difficulty. No way he'd score anything decent with the song he'd picked--...Triple A.

"No way…." Sonic gaped in awe. "That...was...TIGHT!!"

The rest of the evening was spent with Sonic trying to one-up Shadow at various games. The effect of it created unreasonable jealousy in Knuckles, who found Rouge distracted by the "epic" battles between the two. If it was a game Sara had made him play at any point, he tended to have the upper hand against Sonic. Despite the attention and even encouragement coming from the peanut gallery, he still felt like a fifth wheel. He modestly shrugged off an "ultimate life form" comment from the bat, saying he didn't like to bring the subject up.

A few honey-sweet kisses from Rouge had the crimson guardian settled down by dinner. Ash and Misty had come out of their end of things with an unusual amount of prize tickets and sheepish grins. "Jolly rancher?" the girl shot up when Amy tried to question them about it.

"How'd he do that?" Shadow asked while buzzed from his second tea.

"Eh? Who did what?" Sonic returned as he handed his menu to the waitress.

"Tails...getting a girl...Knuckles getting Rouge?" The pair that was still with them blushed.

"But...you have a mate." The cobalt hero quirked a brow.

"Just the whole…friends thing...comes so easy to him."

Sonic shrugged. There was no easy answer for why some people made friends while others didn't. Even if Shadow's speech was starting to slur from the alcohol, Sonic could tell his eyes were searching for something. Whatever reservations he might have had about the other-world Shadow were melting away with the distant look on his face... he could tell he just wanted to go home. "Just chill, it'll come to you eventually."

--

Shadow might have been outwardly drunk when he slumped into the couch at Sonic's house, but his mind was just busy elsewhere. He'd had his alone time; he didn't like it. His head was swimming with alcohol, and when his eyes finally closed, he muttered something to the effect of "I don't want to sleep on the couch," though it came across less articulately. Behind his lidded eyes, a memory played out, one he'd have liked to forget...or maybe just apologize for.

_"I don't care that he's your cousin! I don't care that she's his mate! I don't want to see them in this house again without _my_ permission!_" _Shadow had growled after closing the door behind their surprise guests._

_Sara shrank back uncertainly a moment before straightening up and looking him in the eyes defiantly, brown eyes shining. "Why do I have to have permission? Why does he need it? He's family!"_

_"Because you are _my_ mate and you'll do as I say!" Shadow hissed angrily._

_"N-no."_

_"What?!"_

_Sara had begun her relationship with Shadow lacking any reasonable fear of him, but she'd since gotten to see him angry and knew what to be afraid of with him. He was in one of those moods. It hadn't been an easy week, not at work, not at home. When Sonic had suggested he and Amy fly by to say hi and have dinner quickly, she hadn't thought anything of it. Shadow's being quiet at the meal wasn't anything new either...but his sudden anger was something, and causing her to shake. "N-no."_

_"You're turning on me?" Shadow started in disbelief. "They do this all the time! Come in here, eat our food, ruin our evening…."_

_"__**Your**__ evening, not mine!" Sara squeaked. "I _like_ having friends and family over! I...I don't care about extra dishes, and if we'd just...go out once in a while, I'm sure they'd--"_

_"Sara, stop it! I don't want them over again, got it?!"_

_"Is it so bad? Hanging out, making friends? I want to have fun!" Sara said with tears forming in her eyes._

_"You can have fun without them," Shadow replied coldly. "I just want them to leave us alone."_

_"Leave...us...alone…." Sara repeated numbly before anger overcame her. "If you want to be alone so bad, you can sleep alone for a week!" Shadow made a grab for her wrist, which was intercepted by a pillow to the face, as she'd gotten to the linen cabinet first. That said it all as she stormed upstairs and closed the bedroom door behind her._

_"...Fine."_

_--_

Sonic had work the next day, so he was gone bright and early, after making sure Shadow got a rude awakening. He was disappointed Shadow wasn't suffering a hangover, but the way he jumped was cause for a Cheshire grin. The umboros hedgehog was still going over the previous night''s events, so didn't feel like moving off the couch.

"Mind if I watch some TV?" Amy inquired from somewhere over his shoulder.

"Your house."

She took a seat next to him, noticing Ash scribbling in a coloring book on the coffee table. "Oh, good morning!"

"Morning, Auntie Amy" He smiled, then went back to drawing.

"_...Apply directly to the forehead!'_ Amy flipped channels. "_For those sexy abs you always-"_ Click. "_The female mantis proceeds to-"'_ Click. "_Welcome to A Mobian Idol...this is your host Ryan Sealcrest. Let me introduce you to the Judges Simon Scowl—"_ Double click.

"So...last night..." Shadow started in conversational but hesitant tones. "Nothing weird happened, right?"

"Umm...no." Amy finally settled on some chick flick playing. "You got a little tipsy from the drinks, but...you had fun, right?"

"A little...kinda felt forced, though." Shadow sighed.

"Hey...it's not easy changing your life around...I know that much."

Shadow grinned slightly; she was talking about his other self, wasn't she?

"Papa! Look what I drew!" Ash said proudly, holding up a roughly colored horse.

"I...don't think ponies are green…." he said dubiously with an arched brow.

"It looks nice!" Amy applauded him. '_Would it kill him to just...give someone a compliment?'_

The boy started another page.

"It'll get easier as you go," Amy said, returning to Shadow.

"It just seems so natural for you guys...even Knuckles was awkward as hell and still doing better than me. Why's it always go wrong?"

"You did fine," Amy assured him. "And Knuckles is used to Rouge."

"Maybe..." he mumbled.

"Quit being so hard on yourself."

"...So what's your Shadow like?" he inquired as Amy changed the channel again; this one had someone making chocolate something with cream cheese in it. He thought Sara might like it.

"Ohh...pretty similar to you...keeps to himself," the pink hedgehog responded.

"Yeah, his apartment's pretty bare."

"He keeps it for Mercury's sake, I think." Amy smiled a bit. "Seeing you here with Ash...it makes me feel better about Mercury... I'm sure he's being taken care of, wherever he is."

Shadow gave a sincere smile, the quiet soon broken again by Ash. "How's this one?" The sky blue and jet black hedgehog beamed, holding up a rainbow-petaled flower.

The smile slid to a mused grin. "Colorful. Your mom would like it."

"Cool! I'm gonna go show Misty!" Ash beamed at what passed for praise and slid off to the selfish girl.

"...Quiet around here without the boys," Shadow sighed. "Sorry, I'm making you uncomfortable, aren't I?"

"Ahh, it's all right," Amy returned with a forced smile. "I know Sonic loves Iris, but I think he wonders..."

"I have a way of ruining things," Shadow said glumly. He saw Amy's expression sag a bit and he straightened up, attempting to lighten things. "But if you want to know...they're loud, obnoxious...always have you running around after them. My world's Amy is always complaining about being outnumbered three-to-one all the time." He rattled off their worse traits. "Blitz is practically a clone of Sonic right down to the cocky attitude and posturing. Even worse, he keeps crashing his Gears into things..."

Amy laughed a bit. "Three Sonics, huh? That would be a bit much..."

Shadow seldom spoke with Amy unless it was to figure out what to get Sara for her birthday or something, but he actually found her pleasant company. She'd even gotten him lemonade, and he was starting to relax and feel natural. _"Hang out, have fun, make friends! Is that really so horrible?"_ Sara and Sonic's words echoed in his head. Now that things were starting to settle, he was starting to enjoy it. He looked at Amy as if just seeing her for the first time.

"Are you okay?" she inquired after a while.

"Yeah...just thinking." He smiled slightly. '_Friends..huh?'_

"Any idea what you're going to do next? I mean, without pressure from Drill Master Sonic?" Amy laughed.

"I...think so."

The images and sounds from the screen were secondary to the company and the comfort it brought. Amy had always tried being nice to Shadow; it was just her nature. And for all her effort, Shadow realized he'd had a hard time considering anyone a friend. He had allies at times, temporary cease fires with Sonic, but friends? He hoped his alt wouldn't mind the little withdrawal he was about to make...

--

The sky was just starting to change colors when the two hedgehog families entered Twinkle park. If this wasn't a social experience, nothing was, as the fairways and thruways were crowded with people, both Mobians and humans. The fact Shadow had suggested coming here shocked both Sonic and Amy, while the kids were just delirious at the prospect. There was a small satisfied smirk clinging to Shadow's face as they started for the first of many rides.

"Man, I haven't been here in forever!" Sonic expressed, watching a nearby coaster streak by.

"Ooooh no..." Amy warned, "You are _not _racing the coasters this time!"

"Aww!!"

Shadow chuckled. "Been a while for me too."

"Can we go on the coasters?" Ash asked excitedly with Misty nodding beside him.

"Just don't get out of my sight."

"So...when _were_ you here?" Sonic inquired, watching the young hedgehogs speed up to a line.

"Hnn..." Shadow thought seriously about that. His first time to Twinkle Park had been one of his first dates with Sara. Just give her some cotton candy, throw a few darts, and that was all. The last time... "Last time was...when Maria was their age."

Sonic shook his head and laughed, "Sorry, I can't see ya coming here..."

"Well, I was." Shadow headed to the exit for the coaster the two kidlets had decided to try out, trying to plan out the chaos a bit. '_Coaster over there...game alley there...food court for later….'_

"Umm...why? Eggman attack it or something?" Sonic was eyeing a stand with fried mozza and funnel cakes and other fried unhealthful items.

"No."

Amy latched onto Sonic's arm and smiled. "It was because of your mate, wasn't it?" Sonic was about to say something but stopped. "Ohh! Don't look so sour about it," she snorted. "You came here for Sara, didn't you?" Shadow nodded. "And for your kids." Shadow scratched behind his ear. Amy smiled. "Thought so."

A pair of giggling children came walking and pushing past the crowds to get to the exit of the ride. "That was fun!" Misty cried. "Let's do a bigger one!"

Shadow hung back a bit, letting the others decide where to go and what to do. He'd been surprisingly amiable the whole day, and hadn't even snarled once. A few times, Amy thought she saw him in a contemplative gaze, something...reminiscent.

"Having fun?" she asked after they all got off one of the larger coasters. Sonic was just reeling and yammering with the kids over "what a rush" that was, but it was "nothing" like what he was capable of.

"...Yeah," Shadow said honestly.

"But there's something missing, right...?" she continued.

Shadow watched Sonic take the kids to one of the fried greasy food stands. "Yeah. But you know what that is." He paused. "Hey, Amy?"

"Yeah?"

"It's funny...I never really thought of you and Sonic as my friends."

"Hey! Shads! Chili dog for ya?" Sonic called from the stand.

"I'm good!" he replied.

Amy thought about it a minute. "Never thought of us as friends? Really?"

Shadow nodded. "Don't know about the one here but I...think I see...what Sara was getting at."

"What about Sara?" Sonic asked, striding up to the hedgehogs, offering Amy a puffy cloud of pink cotton candy with a smile.

"The whole friend thing." Shadow managed to look irritated, but smiled anyway. "You guys have been helpin' me out here and...the ones back home have too... Irritating as you are, you're not meant to be torture."

"Heh..." Sonic scratched behind his ear. "Umm...thanks?"

Shadow's brows creased together, though not in an unkind way. He was thinking again... What to say was always a problem, but maybe he didn't need words. He had an unspoken rivalry with his Sonic that would never change, and they communicated it regularly with challenging looks. It was time for a different look. He held out his right hand to Sonic and said simply, "Friends?"

Sonic smirked and took the hand firmly. "Friends!"

A feeling of power came over Shadow as the two hedgehogs clasped hands. It was Chaos power. Before he had a chance to say something, a tingle passed through his body like the day he'd crossed into the wrong world. In the blink of an eye, he was standing at relatively the same pose on his own doorstep, reaching for the knob. _'I...I'm home?'_

He hesitated before putting his hand on the knob and giving it a turn. It swung open and he darted a glance around the familiar settings of his home. A hopeful smile reached his lips as the setting became familiar and his heart and mind raced. He took a few quick steps into the home and looked around for his family. The door to the den was cracked open.

Sara was embracing Ash tightly on the her lap, surprised and relief painted on her to have her son back at last. Maria was hugging them both, but Shadow could see something pass in her briefly jewel-like eyes.

"Did Mercury go home?" she asked, glancing over at her quiet father standing at the door to the den.

"I think so…." Sara smiled, but it was slightly sad still. She hadn't noticed she was being watched by her mate's crimson eyes. Her fingers brushed through Ash's sky blue and black quills.

"Sara?"

Oak brown eyes quickly focused on the jet black and crimson hedgehog standing in the doorway. "S...Shadow?" Her eyes were critical, looking him over head to toe. His posture, his gestures, his eyes... He nodded to her slightly, and she could see a gentleness in him. She smiled and rose from her seat.

"Can we go to Twinkle Park?" Ash inquired, peering over the back of the couch.

The boy's request was ignored as the two met in the center of the room, Shadow's arms freely wrapping about Sara's frame with no reservations. "It's really you?" she asked, nestling against his cotton soft chest fur. Her cheeks flushed and she felt like she had when they first got together, when everything was fresh and new... Things were...renewed.

"Yes." He graced the back of an ear with a few affectionate licks. "And I'm sorry."

"Shadow..." Sara sighed, "I'm the one who..."

"No." Shadow relaxed his grip and tilted her head up to meet his gaze. The fiery red eyes were open, truly open to her, and she was fixed to his gaze like a moth to a flame. "I'm the one who's been a jerk... I used to...try new things because of you and I got too comfortable with the way things were after a while, so I didn't think...I needed to improve." He paused a bit, thinking. "You shouldn't have to fight with me whenever you want to do something or have Sonic stop by. He's family and...he's been a good friend as well."

Sara smiled weakly. "Are you really my Shadow?" she laughed a little.

Shadow answered her with a kiss that removed all doubt while the kids watched and whistled. "I can still sleep on the couch if you want."

"I...don't think you have to any more," the sky blue hedgehog replied, fiddling with her tan bangs.

"Can we go to the park, Papa?" Ash asked again.

Maria laughed at that. "Can we?" she added.

Shadow nodded. "Yeah." He turned his attention back to his mate, never having felt so grateful to have her within his cognitive senses. "Let's say I've had a little learning experience…. Ready to go?"

"Eh? Go where?"

"Twinkle Park." Shadow grinned.

"So what did you do while you were gone, enroll in spontaneity courses?" Sara ventured with a laugh.

"Something like that." Shadow shrugged and led her out of the room, beckoning the kids to follow. "I love you," he said softly in her ear.

"I love you too."

# - # - # - # - # - # - # - #

Through the window separating McDonald's Playplace from its dining area, Shadow and Sara observed as their children enjoyed scrambling about the colorful plastic fort. Only a few bites of Sara's burger remained upon its sauce-smeared wrapper, a testament of her sluggishly returning appetite. Shadow crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat at the lull in conversation, his eyes distant though decidedly fixed on Mercury.

"…I'm just as guilty as you are," he stated after a while, causing her to glance his way.

"What do you mean?" Up until this point they'd only been discussing the children.

"A few days before we came here, Mercury and I got into a fight. I was annoyed with him because he hadn't been returning when he said he would, and some individuals he's been keeping company with had been negatively influencing him. Everything I told him that day got some smart ass answer, until I made it clear just what I thought of his attitude and told him he was having nothing more to do with his new friends."

Sara blinked quickly. "What did he do when you said that?"

"He got angry, shouted, argued…told me he wished he was dead like his mom…and I struck him with the back of my hand, right across the face…." He paused to sigh as she gaped. "…He ran away after that, and that was the last time I saw him until he showed up at your house. I was…actually looking for him when I wound up here myself." He finally turned and peered at her, prompting her to force a few words through her bated breath.

"No wonder he was so afraid…."

He snorted. "Yeah. I was sorry too, right afterward…but that doesn't undo the consequences. It'd have been better if I'd just kept my mouth shut instead of going off on him."

"Well wait, that's not necessarily true…I mean, if those new friends of his were having a negative influence on him, it's good that you stepped in as a parent and intervened. Just…you really could have handled it a lot better…." She did her best to return a smile to his piercing gaze. "The link you share with your child is strong, and yet delicate. Sometimes it's better to give the line some slack rather than risk damaging it…but you need to know when those times are." She leaned in and sipped the last of her shake. "By the way," she added as her rich brown eyes met his once more, "thanks for sharing that with me. I'm sure it wasn't easy." In the softened edges of his demeanor before he turned back to the window, she thought she saw, just for a moment, her own Shadow. Then he was up and heading toward the Playplace door.

A single upward nod greeted the small black hedgehog peering down from the fort. "You're free to go to the Gear park," he called up, casting a fleeting glance at Maria, "as long as you stay together and come back by dark." Sara sat a bit wide eyed at his first use of authority over her daughter, caught between its comforting familiarity and the unusual circumstances. A sad smile crept across her face as she got up to dump her waste in the nearest bin and collect the eagerly emerging children.

A similar expression remained on her as she watched Shadow after they'd returned to the house. Few words left him, but his actions made it obvious that there had been a dramatic shift in his disposition. He tidied up in the living room, kitchen, and den, washed the dishes, did the laundry, and even offered to pick up the pizzas she ordered for supper. By the time he got back with them, the kids were already home and waiting.

"Mmm, kinoko to bakon!" Maria announced gleefully after a quick sniff of the air. She opened the two larger boxes and arranged them back to back on the table. "…What's this one?" she asked of the other pizza, leaning in to smell and wrinkling her muzzle.

"Pepperoni and peanut butter," Sara answered with a smirk toward a cockeyed Shadow. "Mercury said you really like it." As she lifted the lid of the third box to reveal a small round of cheese sticks, the boy's eyes drifted over.

"Oh, could I have some of those?"

"Those are Mom's," Maria replied, but Sara proceeded to break off a couple of pieces and slide them onto his plate.

"Don't like mushrooms?"

He shook his head. "Not this kind."

"Sorry," filtered through the girl's mouthful, "the mushrooms are my fav."

Shadow removed three slices of the otherwise untouched pizza, and everyone paused to watch him take the first bite. "……It's not _that_ unusual," he muttered.

The meal wore on in storybook family fashion, with small talk about the kids' day at the park and a sprinkling of trivial topics. After Mercury finished his cheese sticks, Maria helped him pick the unwanted ingredient off a piece of mushroom and bacon.

"There, I think I got all of them," she figured as he searched it one more time.

"One way to find out." He drew the slice in and took a large bite. While he chewed, Maria piled his mushrooms onto her own piece and sank her teeth in as well. After a few seconds Mercury made a less than pleased face. "…I think there were still a couple, but I managed to swallow 'em."

"They won't kill you," she replied, then dropped her voice to a morbid octave, "—unless they're poison! Mwahahaha!"

He glanced up, fighting a smirk. "If they are, that means you're eating poison too!" She grinned and chomped an even bigger bite, letting sauce ooze from the corners of her mouth as her face distorted into derangement. A half-chewed gob of pizza landed on the table as Mercury burst into laughter. All at once he stopped, quickly retrieving the food with a napkin, and cast an apologetic glance to his father. To his surprise, though, the incident had been witnessed with no reaction. Shadow merely eyed him, then Maria, and then it was as if he were somewhere else entirely.

Following supper, the four hedgehogs migrated into the den for video games, which translated into a single 75-minute team brawl. Sara and Maria emerged victorious, of course, after which the controllers were put away and a family-friendly movie was popped in.

Steadying a nearly empty bowl of popcorn in her lap, Sara yawned as she leaned into Shadow's shoulder. "Only thing I don't like about this one is the music." At his other side, Maria had long been nestled against him and was now on the verge of dozing off. Mercury was seated on the floor with his head laid back on the cushions of the couch, already fast asleep.

"Wasn't expecting _him_ to die," Shadow commented as one of the main characters was blown to bits. Sara nodded agreement.

"I didn't expect him to turn, either." She smirked and nudged him after a quick glance at the children. "Give 'em a few, then we can haul them upstairs without waking them, I think." She carefully slid off the couch and lifted the bowl. "I'm gonna go pop this in the kitchen...back in a minute." As she left the den, Shadow shut down the DVD player and started flipping through the TV channels. He paused to lean over and check on his softly snoring son, causing Maria to stir a bit. She raised her head and stared for a moment before beginning to speak.

"Seems you've figured out why you're here…."

"..What?" Shadow turned from Mercury, his eyes widening as he beheld in hers the entranced abyss he'd seen only once before.

"This journey isn't just a physical one," she went on, unblinking. "Your heart has come to terms with its imbalance…yet you continue to cling to it. Why?"

"...What imbalance?" he questioned. "What exactly do you want from me?"

"You already have the answers you seek. You're held back now by only yourself."

"Myself…." His eyes darted aside as he pondered the reservations that continued to churn within.

"You will not end up where you truly belong until you allow yourself to move forward…and you cannot move forward until you let go of where you stand." With that the emerald-induced girl turned to face the door of the den. Shadow looked as well, and moments later Sara walked back in.

"…Ready to put the kids in bed?" she asked softly after a brief pause at his odd gaze. Turning back to Maria, he found her lying back in his lap, sound asleep. He nodded in unsettled silence. While the girl was carefully lifted up into his arms, Sara crouched and scooped up Mercury. She motioned toward the stairs with a nod of her head. "After you." As they ascended, a small hand reached up and feebly latched onto a bit of his chest fur. Though he reflexively pulled away, he couldn't help but feel a sense of endearment at the behavior he'd once experienced regularly with his infant son.

Once the children had been tucked into their beds, their parents set about retiring for the night as well. Shadow was actually in bed before Sara, his mind swimming with a torrent of reflections on his latest communication with the emeralds. Sara took note of his state and said very little, suspecting it was one of those things he needed to sort out rather than talk about. She had some notions of her own to ponder anyway. They lay facing each other in silent contemplation, her fingers gently running through his ever popular tuft. When she glanced up, she found him watching her, and she returned a faint smile. Her hand touched to his cheek, and she leaned in and briefly pressed her lips to his. Amidst the gesture, his hand slid past her waist to her back, pulling her in for another, considerably more passionate kiss. It continued down her curves and tightly followed her thigh as it ventured over his side.

"…We shouldn't be doing this," he suddenly spoke up, allowing another second to pass before opening his eyes to find hers pouring into them. "It…wouldn't be for the right reasons…." Though he meant the words, part of him seemed to hope she would go ahead and seduce him anyway. He wasn't even sure what he should be doing anymore.

She receded from him, visibly distraught. "Guess you're right…." As she reached to wipe a tear that threatened to slip out, she was quickly pulled to him again, this time for a comforting embrace. They remained that way for several minutes until her trembling had subsided, after which she slid herself down a bit to nuzzle her face into his chest, where she remained for the rest of the night.

In the morning Shadow lingered beside Sara until she was awake. They lay and talked for a while, then got up to make breakfast before he had to leave for work. Two croissants and a plate of scrambled eggs later, he set out for Enviroreach Labs, Inc., which he found to be a business of surprising size and reputation. The workday passed quickly while traversing his assigned locations; though he got little done in the way of actual work, plenty of time was spent in thought.

In order to move forward…he had to let go. What was it he held to so desperately? In the past he often acted on his impulses without much regard for their consequences. He'd since learned to better think things through, to reserve things for their time and place…but he wondered now if he'd crossed the boundary of caution into a refusal to accept change in his life at all. There were many risks, but without risks, there could be no progress. One thing was clear: He couldn't keep things the same forever. Whether the changes to come would be to his liking, though, would largely be up to him. Instead of resisting, he had to do everything in his power to make sure things turned out for the best. He had to…decide just what he wanted from his life…and go for it.

Upon his return home that evening, Sara gave him a hug and a piece of paper bearing two phone numbers. "Sonic stopped by today and asked how things were going, if you'd had any luck with Tails' Chaos emerald. I told him we haven't come up with anything yet, and he suggested that you give Chris' grandpa a call. I wrote down Dad's number too, in case he can help…but to be honest I don't know if I want him to know Ash is missing…."

Shadow nodded as he skimmed over the digits. "I'll call him as a last resort." The answer seemed to satisfy Sara, who changed the subject as she walked into the kitchen.

"So how was work?"

"Well enough." He turned and headed for the stairs, crumpling the paper in his hand. "I'll be right back." Coming to a stop in the doorway of Maria's room, his eyes darted to Mercury as both children looked up from their half-woven friendship bracelets. "Come with me." A hand went up to halt Maria when she attempted to follow. "Not you."

Mercury glanced nervously behind as he accompanied his father back downstairs. "..What did I do?"

"Nothing. I just want to talk to you." He led his son out into the backyard, where he leaned back against a large tree while the boy climbed into a tire swing hanging from one of its branches.

"…Do you like it here, Mercury?"

"Yeah," he answered without hesitation. "Miss Sara's nice, and a good cook, and Maria's a lot more fun to hang out with than Misty." He gripped the tree trunk and began to wind himself in circles.

"Yes…and there are also Sonic's sons…and Tails' children."

"Tails has kids?"

"Yes, two."

"Cool!" There was a short stretch of silence as the boy continued to wind. "Why'd you ask me that?" Finally he let go, and the tire launched into a rapid spin. After several moments Shadow reached out to halt it, and Mercury's head sank between his legs. "…Whoa…."

"I asked because we're not going to go back to the dimension we came from."

"We're not??"

"No. We're going to take our places in this one."

Mercury lifted his head as best he could in his dizziness. "But…what if the other Shadow comes back…?"

"If he does come back, I'll deal with him accordingly."

From that point on Shadow began to systematically remove himself from family activities, staying at the dinner table only long enough to eat, declining involvement in any video games, and opting to sleep on the couch. The next morning he hardly said a word before heading out to work, and when he got back, he avoided everyone but Mercury. It wouldn't take long, he gauged, for Sara to crack.

After another night on the couch, he awoke to the smell of coffee wafting from the kitchen, well before the usual hour. He crept in to find Sara stacking pancakes between layers of sweetened cream cheese and chocolate chips. "Good morning," he finally said in his coldest tone. She turned and blinked at him with puffy, sleep-deprived eyes.

"Oh, good morning. Hope I didn't wake you. I just thought I'd get an earlier start on breakfast since we hardly saw each other yesterday…." Receiving nothing more than stony silence from him as he seated himself at the island counter, she exchanged her utensils for her coffee cup and made her way to the bar, across from him. "…Are you…mad at me about something? I mean, I can understand why you wouldn't want to use the bed anymore, but…." she trailed off as she stared into her pale brown beverage.

"It's a matter of disposition," he answered mildly. "You're asking me to fulfill the duties of a role I don't hold. As long as this condition remains, this is how it's going to have to be." Sensing a promising wave of dismay in her as she looked up, he abruptly got to his feet. "I'm going to work now."

"B-but it's not even six o'clock yet!"

"I'm going to take care of some things along the way."

"…At least have some pancakes before you go…." She turned to retrieve the platter and grabbed a bottle of syrup as well. When she turned back to the bar, Shadow was already gone.

The hours before he was due to show at Enviroreach were spent along the outskirts of the city, where he paced deep in thought. A dream he'd had just before waking was beginning to come back to him, and the more he remembered, the less he wanted to. The main portion he recalled was of Maria, standing before him in the distinctive Chaos-controlled state.

"_You mustn't remain here_," she warned as she took on an unsettling glow. "_This life is not yours to live._" Shadow responded with a blast of Chaos Fire to her face, which flashed upon impact in instantaneous combustion. He couldn't remember exactly what happened after that…but a sickening sensation crept through his stomach as he pondered the vision. All he was trying to do was secure a happily ever after for his son and himself; why did he feel like he was committing some kind of unspeakable evil? It wasn't as if _he_ was the reason his alt was removed…was it? Throughout the workday it followed him, plagued him, but he refused to give in, fighting each opposing notion with another, until his denials and justifications no longer brought him any comfort. Nearly two hours after he was supposed to be home that evening, he lingered in the city streets. He'd long since come to the conclusion that, no matter the intentions, what he was doing was wrong. Now it was just a matter of facing that reality, of giving up the ideal life he was so close to acquiring as his own…of letting go.

The doorstep chorus of crickets silenced as Shadow approached his home's front door. Tonight he would state his piece to Sara, and then leave to seek out his own life. If Mercury wanted to come or not, he determined, would be the boy's own choice. As he reached for the doorknob, a vaguely familiar sensation suddenly overcame him. He blinked once, then again, and the next thing he knew he was staring Sonic the hedgehog in the face and shaking his hand.

Sonic raised an eyebrow at having the hand in his abruptly jerked out. He chuckled, "What, did I squeeze too hard?" Shadow was too busy taking in his new surroundings to respond, though. From the neatly trimmed bushes and decorative fencing, it appeared he was in some kind of park. Amy stood nearby, holding a huge cone of cotton candy. She shrieked in surprise as she glanced down to find her own son standing beside her instead of Ash.

"_Mercury!!_" The boy was still blinking at the powder blue mound of sugary fluff in his hands when he was encompassed by his teary mother's arms. "My baby!!"

"…We're back," Shadow uttered to no one in particular. He watched in a half daze as Misty joined in hugging her half brother (while taking a bite of his cotton candy), and even Sonic smiled and greeted him.

"Glad you're okay…see, told ya, Amy, nothin' to worry about!" He then turned back to Shadow. "Guess that means you're the Shadow we all know again too! --Just to make sure, though, what were the exact words the store owner yelled when you popped one of his waterbeds?"

Shadow scowled. "_You_ popped that bed!" A cackle belted from the blue hedgehog.

"Yep, this is our Shadow! Welcome back, man!" He'd just slapped Shadow on the shoulder when he was smashed into him by an overjoyed Amy, with both kids caught in between.

Annoying as it was…it was nice to know he'd been missed.

It was nearing midnight as father and son finally parted company with Sonic's family and began to make their way back to their waiting apartment. Thoughtful silence resided between them until Mercury looked up with a reminiscent smile.

"I miss them," he spoke of Sara and Maria, "but I'm glad we got to come back after all. I wouldn't want Mother to be sad."

Shadow simply nodded, his own thoughts occupied with the family he left behind. It was regrettable, having lost his opportunity to apologize, but at least he'd had a hand in giving her what she truly wanted.


End file.
